


Fate

by Seif114



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Action/Adventure, Books, Dark, F/M, Games, I'm an evil genius with a pen, Romance, Vergil owns my soul, classic devil may cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-03-15 13:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 101,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3448295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seif114/pseuds/Seif114
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You never believed in fate. But that sure as hell didn't stop it from taking everything from you and tearing your life apart. Then again, it did lead you to him, whether either of you liked it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chance Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> _Fate  
>  _Chapter 1: Chance meetings__
> 
> _"I truly, truly believe that I was going in that direction and all of a sudden fate took me and put me here. It's like something else has other plans for me." -Christopher Atkins_

Fate  
Chapter 1: Chance meetings

_“I truly, truly believe that I was going in that direction and all of a sudden fate took me and put me here. It’s like something else has other plans for me.” –Christopher Atkins_

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you up yet?” Your dad calls from downstairs. His words stir you from your sweet slumber and a groan escapes your throat. Slowly, your eyes open, but quickly regret it when they are met with bright sunlight shining in through your bedroom window.

Your heavy eyes beg to be reclosed, but fighting off sleep, you glance at one of the three clocks in your room. “Shit!!” You spring up in bed to quickly and end up falling out of said bed and onto your messy bedroom floor. Standing and rubbing your sore butt, you hurry to find clothes to wear. Once dressed, you quickly brush out your hair and run downstairs. The kitchen is full of the smell of breakfast. Too bad you _majorly_ over slept and can’t have any. You snag an apple as you slip on your shoes and grab your school bag. 

“Twenty two, in college and you still manage to oversleep almost every day.” Your dad chuckles as he enjoys his breakfast at the table.

“You could have woken me up sooner!” You whine.

“Ya, I _could_ have.” He grins.

“Meany!” You pout and playfully stick your tongue out at him before rushing off to your car. The drive to your college takes about fifteen minutes, and an extra five to find parking. Swinging your bag over your shoulder, you lock the car and start to run towards the building. You might actually make it! As you reach the front door, your cell phone goes off. You continue to run down the hall towards class as you skim over the text message.

_‘After school can you pick up a few things from the store? We’re running low. Here’s the list:_  
Bread, Milk, Lunch meat, Shampoo, and bacon. Also, feel free to pick up whatever for yourself, just make sure to watch how much you spend; neither of us gets paid this week.  
-Dad’ 

 

Turning your cell phone on silent, you walk through your class room door just in time. Walking to your seat next to your two best friends, Melody and Ishon. 

“I swear I’m getting you five alarm clocks for your birthday so you will never oversleep again.” Melody can’t help but to smile.

“Don’t bother, I’d most likely just sleep through all five.” You sigh.

“How about a fog horn then?” Ishon smirks.

“Knowing her, it wouldn’t make a difference.” Melody argues.

A few hours later, class lets out. Thankfully, it was the only class you have for today. As you walk down the hall towards the parking lot, your stomach makes its hunger known to you in the form of an angry growl.

“It’s not my fault. If you want to be angry with anyone, yell at brain for not waking me up and ears for not telling me my alarm was going off sooner.” You frown at your stomach.

“Hey, wait up!” 

You stop at the familiar voice and turn to see Melody. “What’s up Mel? Something wrong?” You frown

“I have a favor to ask.” Her eyes are pleading. “I was supposed to drop these notes off to Liz after school, but I just got a call from my dad and my brother was in a car accident and-“

You cut her off by grabbing the notebook from her hand. “No need to example, I can drop it off before I go shopping.” You offer a comforting smile.

“Thanks! You’re a life saver!!” She sighs in relief; however worry for her brother remains in her eyes.

“If you need _anything_.” You start.

“You’ll be the first to know.” She offers a small smile before rushing off.

Unlocking your car and sliding into the driver’s seat, you toss your school bag onto the passenger seat along with the notebook. After buckling up, you start your old car and head out to Liz’s. It doesn’t take long to reach her house and after dropping the notebook off to the poor sick girl, you head to the store. Thick dark black clouds in the distance tell you that if you don’t hurry, you’ll have to drive in the storm. Five minutes from the store your car’s engine shuts down. You do your best to park it in an alley before it stops rolling completely.  
“What could _possibly_ be wrong?! Don’t die on me _now_! I just took you into the shop last week and everything was 100% fine!” You do a quick examination of your car and find no problems with it. As if to annoy you further, your stomach repeats its angry yell. “You can shut up.” You poke your stomach. “And you need to behave and not randomly die on me!” You kick your car’s tire. You pull out your cell phone to call your dad for a ride, only to find that the battery’s dead on it. “B-but I just charged you last night!! Bad cell phone!” You pout. With a sigh, you glance back to the rain clouds, which are now much closer. Grabbing your school bag and everything valuable from your car, you lock the doors and decide to walk to the store then home. Your ‘walk’ turns into a run then a sprint as rain starts to fall more and more heavily from the dark sky. 

By the time you reach the store, you are soaking wet. As fast as you are able, you gather up the items that you remembered were on the list and pay. At the door, you hesitate to go home. The rain has picked up to the point where it’s a down pour. “Well, here we go.” You mummer to yourself before stepping out into the wet world. It’s even darker out than when you went in, due to night time setting in. As if to make matters worse, due to construction, you have to take a longer, creeper way home down unfamiliar city streets. 

As you quickly walk along, you spot five dark figures leaning against a building. Holding your breath, you pray that you can slip past the thugs unnoticed. Unfortunately, the world just isn’t on your side today.

“Hey, check out the hot babe.”

“Little girls shouldn’t be out in the rain. What would your daddy say if he your dress got dirty.” 

“Why not come with us and get out of the rain baby? We can have a _lot_ of ‘fun’ while we wait for the rain to stop.”

“Leave me alone.” Fear evident in your voice.

“I ‘love’ the shy types.” One says while flashing you a slimy grin. Another grabs hold of your wrist, but you manage to break free, only to fall on your butt. 

‘Bad time to be clumsy!’ You mentally yell at yourself.

Soft footsteps drawing closer quiets the thugs. All but two turn to see who their next victim will be; the other two keep their eyes on you like predators.

“Hey…! Get a load’a this one!” The thug leader smirks as a white haired man dressed in a blue coat and carrying a katana like sword approaches. He too is drenched from the rain.

“What, you get lost on the way to the runway, pretty boy?” One thug taunts. “Yeah, I’m talking to you, fruit loop!”

“Nice sword ya got there, bub.”

“Check it boys! Loser thinks he’s a real samurai!” The thugs block the man’s way.

“Listen up, tough guy—this here’s _out_ territory!” The leader speaks up. “You fond of breathin’ you pay the toll! This sword’ll do. We won’t kill ya…maybe we just cut you up a bit…” The leader reaches for the man’s sword but stops only inches from it when all of the fingers on his right hand are cut off and fall to the ground. Not even a second later, does his head and torso get cut in half. The rest of the thugs meat the same fate immediately after. 

The only clue you can find to explain what happened is the white haired man’s hand on the handle of the sheathed sword. ‘He was so fast I didn’t even see it!!’ Your mind is still trying to comprehend what just happened when the man starts to walk away. 

“W-wait!” You stand up on shaky knees. The man stops and turns to face you; his expression is cold, stony and indifferent. His eyes are filled with annoyance and anger. “Um, I wanted to thank you…” Your nerves are bundling up the more his cold ice blue eyes bare into yours. 

“If you assume I disposed of those weak fools for your sake, you are strongly mistaken. They simply stood between me and my goal so I disposed of them.” His voice is like a winters rain drowning you.

“Even if that is the case, I still want to thank you. Please, May I know your name?”

“The likes of you do not deserve to know such information and unless you want to end up like those thugs, then I strongly suggest that you leave me.” The man turns to continue on his way, only stopping to run a hand through his hair and slick it back. Once the man is out of sight, you quickly gather up the fallen bags of groceries and run home.


	2. Fears and Tears

Fate  
Chapter 2: Fears and Tears

_“You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” –Vin Diesel_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“We’re meeting up at the library later right?” Ishon asks as you both wall out of your class room and into the crowed hallways.

“Yeah. I have to stop home first and do some cleaning beforehand though. My dad tends to make a mess when I’m not home.” 

“It’s fine. We’ll start our report about war then. See ya.” He waves as he heads off in the direction of his car.

You slid into your own car and head home. The mechanic couldn’t find _any_ problems with it and so the reason why it suddenly died a few days ago is left unknown. After a quick stop for gas, you pull in your driveway and turn your car off before making your way inside. The house is unusually quiet; your dad should have gotten home two hours ago. A quick check outside confirms that his car is parked in the garage. You place your school bag on the table before cautiously leaving the kitchen and going down the small hallway the leads to his room. Quietly pushing the door open, you find him sitting on the edge of his bed, a large box next to him on the floor. A large book that you can make out to be a photo album is open in his hands.

“There you are. I was wondering why it was so quiet.” The little bit of worry inside you vanishes as you take a seat next to him. Remembering what the box contains, you try to fight off that same sadness that happens whenever the box makes an appearance outside of the hall closet. 

“You look just like your mother…” Your dad murmurs quietly as the both of you gaze at the photos. A brown haired woman is seen in all of them, sometimes she’s with a younger you, and other times your dad. 

“I miss her to.” You frown. “It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years.”

“It doesn’t feel like it.” 

“Did they ever catch the thugs that did it?” You look to your dad, but he keeps his eyes on the photos. Thoughts of the thugs that the white haired man killed a few days ago flash through your mind.

“No….” Anger and grief build inside of him. “How could a person, anyone, kill a young mother and burn down her house?! I-it’s just not human!” Tears now roll down both your and his cheeks. 

“I know, but she would have wanted us to be happy.” You try to comfort not only him, but yourself.

A heavy sigh leaves his lips. “You’re right.” He carefully places the photo album back into the box before turning his attention to you. “So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“After I clean up the house a little bit I’m heading to the library to work on a report with Ishon.” You smile. Standing and leaving his room, you return to the kitchen and start to wash the pile of dishes in the sink. Once they’re done and are drying, you quickly sweep and mop the old tile floor. A glance at the clock tells you that you will have at least two hours at the library before it closes for the day. Hopefully you’ll be able to at least get a good start on your report. 

The actual car ride to the library takes about eighteen minutes because you live on the edge of town, a short ways away from the house that burned down when your mom died. You don’t mind, you find it more peaceful to be farther away from the loud busy city life. 

Walking into the library, you find Ishon sitting at a table in a corner next to a large window. You set your bag on the table before plopping down in the seat across from him. 

Two hours later, you both have a good chunk of the report finished when the library closes. “Carful driving home, people are idiots.” Ishon reminds you as he makes his way across the library parking lot to his own car. 

“I know thanks! You to!” You shout back. The streets are fairly empty as night rolls in. It doesn’t feel like a normal night. The darkness is a creepy eerie one that is setting off warning bells in your head. As you pull into the driveway and into your fenced in backyard you spot your dad’s car outside the garage, which is odd. He _always_ parks his car in the garage. At make matters more concerning the driver side door is open slightly. The only light is from your headlights, which dies when you turn your car off behind his, and the light inside his car due to the open door. Cautiously opening your door and leaving it open for extra light; you slowly walk over to the cracked open driver’s door. 

A gasp leaves you and you freeze in place a few feet from the door when you discover what’s keeping it from shutting. An arm, covered and dripping in fresh blood is hanging out of the door. A gold ring on one of the fingers confirms it to be your dad’s. A growl erupts from the darkness on the side of the garage by your dad’s car. Not wanting to meet the same fate as the man that gave you life, you turn and run as fast as you are able to your own car and slam the door shut and locking the car. Jamming your keys into the ignition, you watch as your headlights reveal what produced that blood chilling growl only a short ways away from where you were standing. 

A creature that you could only describe as a mutated lion stares back at you with glowing red eyes. All of its ‘fur’ is gone to reveal reddish dried skin that is stretched tightly across its boney body. You cannot miss the gleaming red liquid dripping from its pointed teeth and large mouth. As much as you don’t want to believe it, in your heart, you know that your dad is dead.

Putting your car in reverse, you quickly back out of the driveway in an attempt to get away from the horrid creature; only to have it run towards your car. You race down street after street, ignoring all stop signs and lights. At least not that many people are on the road tonight to get in the way of your escape. A glimpse in your mirror tells you that the creature is not only following you, but is close behind you as well. Turning down a side street, you make it halfway when your car, like a few days ago, stops and the engine dies. “Not now!!” You panic. The only thing on the street are abandoned business buildings. 

As if it knows you are trapped, the lion creature slowly walks towards your dead car. Suddenly it jumps high into the air, only to land on the roof of your car, denting it down. It’s large sharp claws pierce the roof like butter and you then realize that you are no longer safe locked on your car. It can, and most likely will, cut the car open and eat you like a can of tuna. In a last ditch effort for a chance at surviving, you swing open your door and run like hell down the side street.

Aside from the sounds of your heavy breathing and the creature behind you, something else catches your sensitive ears. Footsteps and they are heading in your direction. Your eyes widen with surprise when you discover who their owner is. 

His white hair stands out in the darkness of the night as the man that saved you from the thugs a few days ago walks closer with a semi fast, confident pace. More to your surprise than the fact that you’re running into the white haired man again, is the fact that you no longer hear the lion creature behind you. Stopping to take a quick glance over your shoulder, you see that the creature no longer has its attention set on you, but the blue coated man.

_**“Son of Sparda! You dare show your face after your father’s betrayal!”**_ The Lion like creature screeches at the mysterious man before lunging off the ground towards him. 

The man, who is now only a few feet from you, stops and grips his sword. The next thing you know, the lion creature is in pieces on the ground slowly turning into sand. The white haired man then continues to walk down the street like nothing happened. 

You take a deep breath in hopes to calm some of your nerves. “Wait a second!” The man stops but does not make any move to turn to you. “I know that you did it for yourself and not for me, but thank you for killing that….thing.” You glance to the sandy remains of the lion. “I was wondering if I could tag along with you for a while.” 

“I have no desire for company, little alone from someone as pathetic as yourself.” You frown at his words. Of course he wouldn’t want you to follow him like a lost puppy. But it was worth a try. The last place you want to be is home alone. Sure you could go over to Melody’s, Liz’s or Ishon’s but what if another one of those creatures attacks. Not only would you and your friends die, but it would be YOUR fault for leading the monsters there in the first place. “Go home like a good little girl.” With that, the man starts to walk away again.

“I would…if I had a home to return to. That lion…thing, killed my dad, and only living relation.” You frown. “So _please_ sir, let me tag along with you. At least for a little bit! I know you can kill those things and if there are more then….” You stop knowing that you probably sound even more pathetic than before.

The man stops and turns to lock his blue eyes with your own. What feels like minutes goes by as his eyes seem to look into your very soul before he finally breaks the stare and turns his head back down the street the way he was going before you stopped him. “…Vergil.”

“…Huh?” You say confused.

“You asked for my name. It is Vergil.” With that, he continues on his way. You just stand there surprised and still slightly confused. “I’m not stopping if you fall behind girl.” His words snap you out of it and you realize what he meant. A small sense of relief washes over you knowing that you will be safe, at least for now.


	3. Monsters Among Us

Fate  
Chapter 3: Monsters Among Us

_“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”  
–Friedrich Nietzsche _

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your glued on the image of your dad’s blood soaked hand as you pay no attention to where you and Vergil are going. All you know it that you have been walking for quite a long time. You are pulled from that haunting image when Vergil stops. Looking up from your feet for the first time since you started to follow the white haired man, you discover that he has lead the both of you to an old graveyard, with an even older church. As the both of you enter the graveyard and draw closer to the church, you spot a dark figure leaning against the ancient structure, who turns out to be a bald headed man dressed in black.

“There you are. What’s this? Found yourself a pet?” A small smirk appears on the man’s face at the sight of you standing behind Vergil.

“She is none of your concern Arkham.” Vergil warns.

The man drops the subject, but the smirk remains on his lips. Something in your gut is telling you to be very cautious around this ‘Arkham’ man and you decide to take its warning. “The structure is located on the lower level of the burial crept that this church was built on. There should be an entrance inside.” Arkham enters the church, followed by Vergil and finally, yourself. The three of you make your way to the back of the church where a stone spiral staircase leads into thick darkness under the church. Arkham takes the opportunity to light a candle before leading the way down into the crept.

Once in the crept, the three of you walk down halls and stairs deeper and deeper into the old burial site. The air is musty and smells bad and you do your best to deal with it. “Born from dust…They appear as devils…anytime, anywhere…shapeless, elusive. Demons.” Arkham says. “Their existence is through to be mere superstition. It seems odd that they hide themselves, don’t make themselves known. Surly their numbers make them an unstoppable force.”

“They require a medium because they are weak. Lowest of the demon castes.” Vergil replies as you do your best to not get freaked out by their conversation. After all, you were attacked by a lion monster _thing_ , now your with a creepy bald guy and a obviously dangerous cold hearted guy, in an old burial crept in an old church, at night, and now out of _all_ the topics they could talk about they chose demons and devils. Fun. 

“They move freely, but without purpose. They lack individuality. They are legion, but lack the will and intellect to make use of that fact.” Vergil continues. “Freedom without individuality is not strength.”

“Can we really describe such an existence as life then?” Arkham questions.

“Oh, they’re alive all right. I’ve killed enough of them to know that’s a fact.” Vergil’s words send chills down your spine. Demons are real? Then…was that _thing_ that killed your dad…was that a demon? Was your dad killed by a demon?! As much as you want to dart out of this creepy crept, and as many warning bells that are going off in your head from the two men in front of you, you know two things for sure. Demons exist, and Vergil can kill them where as you cannot. 

“I see…” Arkham ponders. “To kill ones so low hardly seems worth the time.” Opening and going through a rusty iron gate, you follow them into what appears to be the oldest part of the crypt. The walls are made of skulls and bone columns hold the structure up. 

“Catacombs.” Vergil observes.

“Not unlike a graveyard, yet its essence is somehow…beautiful. The stones used here are much older than those interred. They have more history, as well. Ah, if these walls could talk, what would they say…?” Arkham admires the skull lines halls.

“They’d probably ask for an air freshener.” You frown. The horrid smell of the outer crept was nothing compared to the small in this deeper part. How can things without any flesh left to rot smell this bad?

“…Of their master?” Arkham finishes while slightly glaring at you. 

Your eyes widen at the sight of a very large angelic statue. Despite it looking like an angel, something feels…off about it. Its Torso is connected to its lower body by only its spine and a large nail is rammed through its right foot. 

“Another Devil.” Vergil stares at the giant statue.

“So, you say. To me…he looks like an angel.” Arkham retorts.

“You’d be wrong.” 

“Semantics. Were they not once one and the same?” Arkham questions Vergil.

“So I hear.” Vergil replies before moving towards the statue, never breaking eye contact with it. 

Your mind is reeling and you don’t even hear their conversation anymore. That angel statue…is a devil? That means it’s just like that demon that killed your dad! What’s stopping it from attacking you right now? Who says it won’t?! Sure, Vergil seems strong enough to take care of himself _and_ he easily killed not only those thugs, but that lion creature as well. But this thing…this ‘devil’ is _much_ bigger than either of the previous enemies he’s disposed of. And who’s to say that Vergil won’t turn his blade on you?! It’s that thought that has kept you quiet this whole time. He is obviously a man that is easy to anger or annoy. And, like with the thugs, when he is displeased by a person’s presence, he has no problem disposing of the source of that displeasure.

“Do not believe that which you see.” Arkham’s words to Vergil bring you out of your thoughts.

“I tire of these riddles, old man.” Vergil’s voice shares the potent venom as his glare, which is directed at Arkham. You notice that Vergil now stands close to the angelic demon’s right foot; as if he was examining the carvings in the nail which is driven through said foot.

“We have formed an alliance for mutual benefit. You must be careful…Vergil.” Arkham’s warning only upsets Vergil that much more. 

“You need my protection, and I have given it…so long as you are useful to me.” Vergil draws his sword and points it at Arkham threating. “But make no mistake…there is no _’we’_.” Vergil sheaths his sword.

“As you say. I shall endeavor to stay useful to you, then.” Arkham’s words are sharp as he glares back at the white haired man. “As you, my dear boy should remember to stay useful to _me_.” Arkham takes a deep breath to calm the atmosphere. “Once, the legend says, heaven was at war…and the earth was ripped apart over and over again. The link between heaven and earth was rendered unstable. And from their boundaries, the underworld was born…and chaos spread. The marauders became known as demons…and in the ensuing slaughter, many humans lives were lost.” 

Arkham makes his way over to the nail by Vergil, leaving you to stand alone. If what they say is true and that statue thing _is_ a demon, there is no way you are going anywhere near it. Arkham’s story intrigues you. Hey, if demons _do_ exist, then you might as well learn as much as you can!

“All seems lost.” Arkham continues. “Until one of the demons woke up to justice, and by his own hand sealed the road to the demon world, and with powerful dark magic help it fast. There is a record in the demon sword documents of several demons who, as punishment, had their names taken from them.”

“Names?” Vergil eyes the giant inscribed nail.

“There.” Arkham motions to a part of the nail where the inscribing’s chipped away. “You see…the names have been chipped away. Of course, this is not reality. Just a representation of it. When heaven and earth were rent asunder, a demon god with black horns emerged from the darkness. He hammered a giant spike into the earth so that heaven and earth would never again be split apart. To prevent the spike from removing itself, he chained the undying one to it, and cast an eternal seal. To demons, names are truth…and of far more consequence than some corporeal viscera. A demon’s name is its power…and the very fabric, the mold of the demon itself. To take away its name is to render it powerless.”

Arkham’s tale leaves you in shock. Demons are real; you yourself have proof of that. So if demons are real, than you can only assume that his tale is true as well. For a demon…no…for _any_ being to be that powerful….that’s the only thing about the story that you cannot wrap your mind around.

“Such a thing…It’s impossible.” Vergil shares some of your unspoken surprise. 

“No for Sparda. Sparda is power without equal! Elder demons are but gnats, beneath his notice. And Sparda possessed many qualities unheard of to the demon world.” Arkham turns his gaze to Vergil as a teasing smirk appears on his lips. “Perhaps that is why he turned against them…”

Vergil’s only response is to glare at the bald man before moving back to get a better look at the angelic demon, Arkham following to stand beside him.

“Those eyes are always watching. They miss nothing. For 2,000 years he has watched…I only wish I knew what he thinks of what he sees.” As Arkham continues his lecture, you block his words out when you notice Vergil holding a hand lightly in front of his face. Is he okay? He looks….surprised? Concerned? The _very_ last thing you want is for something to happen to him because that means you’ll be stuck here alone with Arkham. A shiver runs down your spine at the thought.

“…You do intend to defeat him, do you not?” Arkham’s words not only snap you out of it, but Vergil as well. 

“You presume much, Arkham. Too much.” Vergil death glares at the angelic devil. 

“Forgive me. An old man’s vanity. Nothing more.”

Vergil’s eyes widen slightly as he continues his stare off with the demon. Suddenly, you see something whip through the air and the demon’s head is sliced from its body before crashing and shattering on the floor.

“I am no insect.” Vergil says a hand on his swords handle. How can anyone move _that_ fast?! One minute, he’s just standing there looking at the demon, the next the things head is severed from its body! It just isn’t human! 

“So I see…please…give me back my name…son of Sparda.” The demon’s head pleads. Son of Sparda? You know you’ve heard that name before, but you can’t put your finger on it. Wait…wasn’t Sparda that one devil in Arkham’s story? The devil that took away those demon’s names and helped the humans fight against the underworld? But…if Vergil is his son…

“I have no name to give you, demon. You lost it 2,000 years ago.” Vergil, turning his back to the demon, starts to walk past you towards the stars that lead back through the crept. “Clean slate, demon. You want a name? Give yourself whatever name you’d like.”

“I understand.” The demon’s head crumbles into dust. “Our name shall be Gouman. When the seven are assembled, even heaven will not be out of our reach. The seven bells shall ring and we shall celebrate the return of ancient fear, the ascent of the lord of the demon world. That day…shall come soon.” The demon’s body, like its head, crumbles to the floor.

You turn to find Vergil already climbing the stairs, and run over to catch up, leaving Arkham to examine the remains of the demon. If Vergil really _is_ the son of Sparda, that devil from Arkham’s story, then does that mean he’s a devil also? That defiantly would explain how he is able to move so fast and easily kill other demons. Maybe it’s time you did your own research on the subject. And who better to ask than the person who first told you the story of Sparda? As much as Arkham creeps you out, he is very knowledgeable on the topic of demons and devils. For now, you just have to be careful not to get on Vergil’s bad side.


	4. Knowing Your Allies And Your Enemies

Fate  
Chapter 4: Knowing Your Allies And Your Enemies

_“The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be- and when they're not, we cry.” –Unknown_  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you and Vergil walk out of the old church, you couldn’t be happier that you are away from that creepy crept. To your surprise streaks of warm colors are painted on the eastern clouds as the morning sun rises. The more that you both get into the main section of the city, the more people you see out on the streets. Some are dressed in suits, running off to a business meeting; others are mothers who are trying to get in some early shopping while their children are at school or day care. Cars rush by and you look into shop windows as you pass them. 

A low growl catches your ears and you look down to your stomach. Crap, you’re hungry. But what do you do? Wait to see where Vergil is leading the two of you? But who knows how long that will take. Will he wait for you if you ask? Doubtful. Maybe it’s time to leave his company then. But if you do, will you be safe. All the city people around you, you envy them. They just go about their lives without the knowledge of greater creatures on the planet. You used to be like them. Your only worry was getting to school on time and your only fear was simple thugs, from whom your mother lost her life. But not now. That all changed last night, when your father lost its life and you came face to face with a true monster. Much to your surprise, the thought of the thugs that killed your mother still haunting the shadows is much more terrifying than the thought of demons hunting innocent humans like your father.

Another growl from your stomach brings you back to the matter at hand. You need food. But what are the consequences of it? Building up your courage you make your decision. “Um…Vergil?”

The blue coated man stops, but does not turn, waiting for you to continue.

“I’m getting really hungry…” You hesitantly start.

“Ten minutes.” He warns as he leans against the brick wall of a candle shop. You don’t have to be a physic to know that if you’re so much as a second late he’ll leave you.

“Thank you; I’ll be really quick.” You quickly run off to a fast food place that you spotted not to far back. Thankfully you are wearing the same pants that you had on when you went grocery shopping and forgot about the extra money that was left over, still in your pockets. Entering the fast food restaurant, you order a burger and a bottle of water. By the time you get your food and leave the restaurant, it’s been about five minutes, which gives you just enough time to get back to Vergil. Deciding on eating on the way to save your stomach from anymore torture, you make sure your pace doesn’t slow down.

“Hey girl!!” A man calls for you from an alley as you pass by. Stopping, you look at the man who was obviously very distressed about something. 

“What?” You ask, anxious to get back to Vergil before times up.

“My car broke down around the corner.” The man points to a curve deeper in the alleyway. “Can you just help me to push it to the edge of the alley? A friend of mine would be able to tow it for me, but his truck won’t fit down the alley. Please? It will only take a minute.”

You wouldn’t mind helping him now that you’re done eating, but would you be able to spare a minute? Biting your lip you think of how someone would have helped you when your car broke down in the rain on the way to the grocery store. “Okay, but we’re going to have to be quick. Someone is waiting for me and if I take too long then he’ll ditch me.”

A smile spreads on the man’s face. “Thank you so much.” 

As you follow him around the corner, you how isolated it is. Warning bells start to go off in your head. If this man tries to do something to you, then there would be no witnesses. Not even anyone to come looking for you.

“Where is your car?” You question nervously, noticing that there are none in the alley, little alone any signs that there ever was a car to begin with. 

“In Hell!!” The man before you twists his body in unnatural ways as skin moves and new appendages appear. The end result is a creature that you could not even begin to describe; a monster; a demon.

Instinct kicks in and you scream as you turn to run back towards the main roads. You feel sharp claws grab your calf, cutting into the flesh and making your warm blood flow down your leg. More screams leave you as the demon tosses you against a building like you were a child’s toy ball. Tears stream down from your eyes as you yell out, your back throbbing in pain from the impact. It’s been longer than ten minutes since you left Vergil, which means that he’s long gone and can’t save you; that is if he would save you at all, even if he were here. Your mind is half fuzzy as you sit up due to the impact of your head hitting the brick wall with such force. The monstrous demon steps towards you, claws drawn, ready for the kill. You prepare yourself to see your mother and father again when, out of nowhere, the demon is cut in two and falls to the ground as it disinagrates into a pile of sand. Looking past where the demon now lies, you see a figure approach from the direction you entered the alley from.

As the figure comes closer, relief and shock flood over you. “Vergil?”

“You’re late.” A strong frown is on his face as he locks his eyes on you.

“I’m so sorry; I was on my way back and I would have been on time when this man asked for my help to move his car that had broken down, only the man turned out to be a demon and he attacked me and…“ You stop yourself realizing that your babbling is annoying your savor. “But why did you come looking for me? I thought for sure that you would have just left.”

Vergil only turns and walks back towards the main streets. Realizing that you will never get your answer from him, you hurry to catch up. The two of you continue on your way, the destination unknown to you. The silence between you and Vergil isn’t an awkward one; more like he has no wish to begin a conversation and you can’t think of anything to say that would remotely interest him. 

“….Hey Vergil?” 

He remains silent not even bothering to glance at you.

“I just wanted to say thank you. When we first met, you said that you didn’t kill those thugs for my sake. And you obviously killed the demon that killed my dad because it attempted to attack you. But that one demon a little while ago in the alley… correct me if I’m wrong but you had no reason to kill it. It never attacked you, at least that I know of, nor did it try to stop you. It was after me, yet you went out of your way to find me and kill it when you could have just left when I was late and you wouldn’t have had to deal with me any longer. So, thank you.”

Your only reply from him is a quick glance out of the corner of his eye back at you. After about ten more minutes of walking, you and Vergil reach a very large, three story mansion. Does Vergil live here?! What does he do to be able to afford a house this big?! The inside of the house is just as big as it looks from the outside. However, it’s not the clean, white, fresh house you thought it would be. Sure there are expensive looking things in it, like the enormous chandler by the front door, but other than that, it seems fairly average. 

“Oh my!” A female voice says from behind you and you stop following Vergil down one of the many hallways. Turning reveals a women who looks somewhere in her 40’s. Her long black hair complements her completion. 

“What happened to your leg?” Her voice is obviously full of concern.

Looking down reveals your bloody leg from where the demon grabbed you in the alley. You were so surprised that Vergil saved you that you completely forgot about that injury. “Oh that…” What do you tell her? That a demon attacked you? Only one reasonable excuse pops into your head and, though it’s a lie, you decide to go with it. “I was attacked by a group of thugs on the way here. Vergil took care of them though.” Turning behind you to motion to Vergil, you frown when you find no one there.

The woman gently takes your hand and starts to guide you down a hall opposite from the one Vergil went down. “There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom. I’ll get you fixed up.” She smiles. Her kindness is a nice change from the coldness that you are used to from Vergil. 

On the way to the bathroom, you can’t help but notice a large portrait in the hallway. In the middle is a girl who looks around your age. She has short black hair and different colored eyes, one blue, the other red. To her right, you recognize the woman as the same one who is now leading you to the bathroom. To the left of the both of them, to your surprise, is Arkham. Wait…this woman is Arkham’s wife?! Uhg, your brain hurts just trying to comprehend how _anyone_ , little alone a sweet woman like the one leading you, could marry a creep like Arkham. Then a thought comes to mind. 

“Um, excise me, but I never got your name.” You offer a smile.

She smiles back. “Kalina, Kalina Ann.”

Once in the bathroom, Kalina tells you to sit on the counter as she digs out the first aid kit and a washcloth from a small closet. Wetting the washcloth in the sink, she carefully wipes away the partially dried blood to reveal three deep gashes from where the demon’s claws tore at your flesh. 

“Those thugs messed you up pretty bad, huh?” Kalina comments. As she cleans out the wounds, a few painful hiss’s escape your lips. Once your leg is clean and bandaged, noticing how dirty your clothes are, she hands you some of her daughter’s cloths to wear while yours are being cleaned. The only outfit that fit you and looked decent, was one of her daughters school uniforms which consists of a white button up top with a black neck tie, and a gray plaid skirt that stops just above your knees with calf length white stockings and simple black flats. She also offers you a pair of dark blue plaid pajamas, which you accept for later. After all, you’re exhausted and who knows how long you’ll be staying here. You decide to just change right into the pajamas; after all the only thing you want now, is sleep after being up all night. 

Once changed into the comfortable, baggy attire, you emerge from the bathroom to Kalina, who had stepped out to give you some privacy. Much to your surprise, Arkham is also in the hallway, talking to his wife.

“My husband will take you to your room.” She smiles sweetly. “If you need anything at all, just let me know.” With that, she turns and walks down the hall a short ways before disappearing through a door.

“This way.” Annoyance obviously in Arkham’s voice. Why does Vergil allow you to follow him like a lost puppy? You, an innocent girl who is ignorant of the world around her; who knows _nothing_. You will only get in their way. Doesn’t Vergil realize this? There is no use for you so why keep you around if you are nothing more than a burden? Fine, then. If Vergil wants to keep you as his little pet for now, so be it. However Arkham will make sure that Vergil is _fully_ responsible for you.

The silence between you and Arkham is very tense and you try to find some way, anyway, of lessoning it. “Arkham, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?” He all but spits as if disgusted by you.

“I’ve only known about demons for a few hours when my dad was killed by one before me and Vergil met you at the church. From what you said about Sparda, he was obviously extremely powerful. Then that angel demon thing called Vergil the son of Sparda. If that’s true then isn’t Vergil also a demon?” 

“Sparda was indeed powerful, but to simply call him such would be an insult. Do you know the story of Sparda?” Arkham pauses before continuing knowing already that you don’t. “Long ago in ancient times, a demon rebelled against his own kind for the sake of the human world. He then impregnated a human woman, who bore twin sons. Shortly after that, he sealed the demon world off from the human world. However, being a demon himself, his power was also trapped in the demon world.”

“Vergil has a twin brother and a human mom?” You question.

“Correct. His younger twin is named Dante. Both him and Vergil are half devils in whom Sparda’s blood still flows.” Arkham stops at a large wooden door on the third floor. “This is where you are to stay.” 

Opening the door reveals the room to be very spacious. To the left of the room is a large king sized canopy bed with countless pillows of different shapes and sizes. The far wall has multiple windows with thick curtains that are blocking out the current sunlight, making the room dim. A few chairs are in front of the large windows. What alarms you is Vergil sitting in one of the chairs with a book in his lap and his long blue leather coat is removed and draped over the back of the chair he is in. His ice blue eyes glare over at you and Arkham in the doorway. You have to share a room with him? With Vergil? What did you do to deserve this? 

“Arkham, what is the meaning if this?” Vergil’s voice drips like poison. 

“Come now dear boy. If you want a pet you have to be responsible and take care of it.” Arkham smirks, which only fuels Vergil’s anger. With that, Arkham leaves, still smirking while he shuts the door behind him. With any luck, Vergil will have killed you by evening. 

Vergil’s eyes move from the closed door, to your nervous form across the room. His eyes lock with yours and you feel a chill run down your spine. His eyes are that of a deadly predator. One that is ready to strike and kill its prey at any second. You might be joining your parents sooner than you think. 

After what seems like countless minutes Vergil returns his gaze to his book without a word. Slight relief washes over you knowing that the staring contest is over with, at least for now. You silently make your way to the large bed and crawl under the covers. Who knows, maybe this day was nothing more than a dream that you’ll wake from later on. As you drift away from fragile consciousness, your mind goes back to what Arkham had told you. Vergil is a devil.


	5. Alone

Fate

Chapter 5: Alone 

_"I remember tears streaming down your face When I said, "I'll never let you go" When all those shadows almost killed your light I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone" But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight" -Safe and Sound (Taylor Swift)_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Slowly, you feel your body waking up, but you don’t open your eyes. You’re afraid to. If you do, what will you discover? Was your father dying and those demons all a nightmare? After what seems like countless minutes of mental debate, you hesitantly open your eyes to reveal a wall of windows on one wall; the thick curtains are pulled back to reveal the night sky and a pale moon. 

Sitting up, you find Vergil in the same spot he was when you fell asleep. SHIT!! Then…your dad really is…dead. You can feel tears threatening to flow, but you fight them back. Your dad truly and sincerely WAS killed by a demon. Looking down at your feet on the bed in thought, you realize something. The bandage on your lower leg looks different. You had figured that there would have been at least some blood that had soaked through while you were asleep.

A glance towards the small garbage can by the bed reveals blood soaked bandages inside. So it was changed while you were asleep. Kalina is the only person that would have done that. You’re positive that Vergil wouldn’t bother with you, and you doubt he’s even moved at all since you fell asleep. And the thought of Arkham changing it…..well, that’s a thought more terrifying than demons existing. You shiver at the thought. Besides, you doubt Arkham would have been gentle enough to not wake you if he changed it. And you know from experience that Kalina is very gentle. You smile to yourself; you’ll have to thank her when you see her.

Standing from the bed, you find your wounded leg to be tender and hard to put full weight on. On the other side of the room, you notice an open door that appears to lead to a small bathroom. Taking the school uniform that Kalina let you use, you enter the small bathroom and shut the door. After a quick shower, and changing into the school uniform, you exit and make your way back to the bed, where you toss your pj’s. 

“How long was I asleep?” You mumble to yourself when you note that the room lacks any clocks.

“About eleven hours.” Vergil answers flatly. 

“That long huh.” Sure, you can sleep a long time, but you’ve never slept THAT long before. It’s most likely because you didn’t really want to wake up. You were too afraid that this wasn’t a nightmare. Much to your disappointment, you are no longer sleeping and this is reality. 

Vergil stands and moves to gaze out the window into the city night. “Alice. What do you want?” Vergil’s tone is that of annoyance. 

Confused, you look around the room only to spot a young girl who looks no older than 11 by the door. You didn’t even notice her! When did she get there? “Arkham said that he’d be waiting for you in the basement.” 

Without a word, Vergil grabs his coat from the back of the chair and pulls it on as he leaves the two of you alone in the dim room. You can’t help but notice the girls face as Vergil walked past her. It was full of disappointment and sadness. Was she expecting something from Vergil?

“You!” She turns to you, face full of anger. 

“Yes?” Why is she angry at you?!

“Why is he nice to you?! I’m more beautiful than you’ll ever be! So why will he pay attention to you and not even spare me a glance!?” She hisses.

You struggle to hold in a giggle. “Vergil? Paying attention and being ‘nice’ to me? He treats me no different than an insect.” 

Alice’s face grows angrier. “In order to be treated like anything would mean he is still paying attention to you! You saw how he just walked by without a word. Even when he questioned why I was here, his voice was full of annoyance! Why is he able to tolerate you at all?! I’m prettier! I’m sexier! Why a normal, mortal, ugly girl like you?!” She screams before running out of the room, slamming the door shut in her temper tantrum. 

“Vergil…tolerates me?” You mummer to yourself surprised by the knowledge. “She has to be wrong. Vergil is just as cold hearted towards me as he appears to be with everyone else. Vergil is obviously just as annoyed by me as he is to Alice. Arkham made me share a room with Vergil. It’s not like Vergil offered. He also just left me in the hallway when Kalina dragged me away to the bathroom. And he’s always glaring at me every chance he gets…” You pause. “Alice is wrong. Vergil hates me.” 

With a sigh, you leave the room and wander the halls, down the stairs and to the main entrance hall. The kitchen has to be around here somewhere. You try your best to be quiet; it is night after all and you don’t want to wake anyone up. Walking through a wooden archway, you discover that you have found the kitchen. Much to your surprise, you find Kalina still up, making some tea on the stove. 

“Oh, you’re up.” Kalina smiles at you.

“Ya.” You smile back.

“I was just making some tea before heading to bed. Would you like some?” 

“That would be very nice. Thank you.” You accept her offer as she pours a cup for you and herself. You both lean against the kitchen counters, sipping on tea. “Oh!” You remember. “I want to thank you for changing the bandages on my leg while I was sleeping.”

Her face becomes puzzled. “I never changed your bandages. After my husband showed you to your room, no one went in, or came out. We didn’t want to disturb you. Hmmmm… weird.”

She didn’t change them for you? But if no one came into the room while you slept then…did Vergil change them while you were asleep? It’s hard for you to imagine the cold hearted man helping you while you. However he was the only other person in the room while you slept. And if he WERE to assist you, what better time than when you are unconscious? 

“Oh! Did you hear what happened?” Kalina asks, and you shake your head. “It was the headline in the newspaper. They found this man’s body in his car at in the back yard of his house on the outskirts of town. They think a bear or some animal attacked and killed him when he was getting out of his car. They’re not sure what happened to his daughter. The last person to see her was her friend who was studying at the library with her that night.” Kalina shows you the article in the paper. You fight back tears when the picture of the victim’s house is your own. 

You set your cup down on the counter. “Thank you for the tea, Kalina.” With that, you leave the kitchen and head back you the stairs to the third floor. When you turn a corner to head down the hallway that your and Vergil’s room is, you spot Alice by the balcony, where if one looked over the edge it would reveal the first floor. Something was different about Alice. She seems…older. A LOT older. Instead of an 11 year old, the girl in front of you appears to be in her upper teens/lower twenties. You can see a raging fire in her eyes when she sees you. You attempt to ignore her and just walk past to your room. After reading that article in the paper, you’re on the edge of breaking down. 

“You!” She spits, but you ignore her and attempt to pass her. Alice grabs your throat and slams you against the railing to the balcony, threatening to push you off and down to the first floor. “Don’t ignore me!” Her grip on your throat increases and your hands grip her arm in a failed attempt to pull her away. “It’s all YOUR fault!! He won’t even LOOK at me!! If I kill you, if I take you out of the picture, then he’ll be free from that distraction, and pay attention to me!!” Her grip seals off your windpipe, and you struggle to breath. Tears sting the corners of your eyes as your vision blurs. You can feel your body wanting to give up. 

“Release her.” You can hear his ice cold voice. Threatening and commanding. Not even a second after, the hand on your throat vanishes and you fall to the floor gasping for air. As your vision comes back to you, you see Vergil, his sword pointing at Alice’s neck.

His gaze turns to you. “Stand girl.” You do as he says. He is clearly not in a good mood, well as good of a mood that Vergil can get, and you do not want to test his patience.

“This is your last warning.” Vergil glares at Alice. “Leave her be. I won’t tell you a third time.” With that, Vergil sheaths his sword, before turning to you. “Return to the room. You are to remain there until I return.” You nod before Vergil jumps over the railing and lands with grace on the first floor.

“Wait! Where are you going?!” Alice calls to him before running to the stairs. 

“Dante is coming.” Vergil simply says before walking away. Deciding to do as Vergil asked, you head to your room and shut the door behind you. You collapse onto the bed, tears flowing strongly from your eyes. Your only living family died by something that’s not supposed to exist, the man that saved you is cold hearted and frightening. And now an 11 year old demon girl is trying to kill you. This wasn’t supposed to happen! You should be going to school, hanging out with friends and finding a place of your own to move into. Not this!! Not, being all alone. Even if there was a guarantee that demons wouldn’t attack you for the rest of your life, how are you supposed to go back to how you used to live?! The tears falling from you seem to be as endless as your sorrow.


	6. Empty Echoes

Fate  
Chapter 6: Empty Echoes

_"For once, instead of telling me the reasons why I shouldn't cry, actually pay attention to the reasons why I am." –Unknown_

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

You’re not sure how much time has passes, and quite frankly, you don’t care. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? All you know is that your eyes still leak tears and your mind is consumed by deep, depressing sorrow. Your eyes hurt from crying so long. You simply remain lying on the large bed, unmoving with your head on the fluffy, now wet with tears, pillow. 

What did you do? You had to have done something! Why would fate take away not only your mother, but your father as well? Why did it revel to you the existence of monsters? Not just the demons. Sure, demons are the typical monsters, however they’re appearance proves that they are not as bad as others. You can identify a demon by its monstrous appearance. True monsters, like you learned when your mom died, are more hidden. They are corrupted humans that will gladly kill for the sport of it, like the thugs that took your mother’s life. They are the true monsters for they cannot always be identified and can corrupt others like themselves. Monsters like demons, you can predict their desire. They wish to kill and gain power. However, human monsters are much harder to not only locate but to understand. They are unpredictable and spontaneous. Humans are just as, if not more so, monstrous as demons.

You are too deep in your depressing thoughts to even notice or acknowledge the bedroom door opening and closing. You are unaware of the footsteps coming to a halt at the side of your bed.

“Stop crying.” His cold voice is commanding and holds annoyance. 

“What do I have left?” You ask more yourself, as tears continue to run down your face, which is red from crying so long.

“You’re alive. Stop crying or I can have it arranged to change my first statement.” Vergil threatens. 

His threat sinks in and your tears finally stop flowing. When Vergil is sure that you will not continue, he moves towards one of the windows and looks out it. You take this time to head into the bathroom to wash your face with cold water. 

‘Okay, let’s take a deep breath and think here for a moment. First things first, if you’re going to live here for a while, you can’t keep borrowing clothes. Which means that you’ll need to go home to pick up a few things. We know the police have been there and most likely have cleaned up the crime scene at least a little bit. They’re most likely still investigating and have it closed off. If I’m seen there, then they’ll take me and question me and I REALLY don’t want to keep reliving what happened. So it’ll be best to go at night so I won’t be seen. But then there’s the second issue. I don’t ….. I CAN’T go back alone. There is NO WAY, NO HOW that I’m going there ALONE at NIGHT where my DAD WAS KILLED only a FEW DAYS AGO.’ You sigh from your thoughts. ‘So I NEED to go back, but alone is out of the question. Would Vergil go with me? Doubtful… I am just tagging along with him and he has nothing to gain from taking me back home. He would no doubt think it foolish that I’m too afraid to return by myself. Even if he does come, will he leave me there? Will I leave my room to find that he has left with no trace? It’s not like if he does leave that I could return here on my own. I haven’t been to this part of the city before. But then again, simply asking him couldn’t be that bad. He’ll ether say yes, no, or just kill me on the spot…. I REALLLLLLLLLY hope that it’s not the last one…’ Building up your courage, you emerge from the bathroom, much calmer than when you entered. From the window where Vergil is still standing, you pleasantly discover that it is still night time.

Hesitantly, you approach the ruthless man. “Um…Vergil….I was wondering if I could ask you something?”

“What is it girl?” He makes no move to turn towards you.

“I need to return home for a few minutes to pick up a few things. I know this will sound foolish but could you come with me?” You can hear your heat beating quickly in your ears, his back still facing you.

“Foolish indeed.” He finally replies after what feels like an eternity of silence.

“So can you? Please?” You plead.

You can hear a soft annoyed sigh leave him as he finally turns to face you. You can tell by the look in his eyes that he is very annoyed by your request. “Very well, I shall escort the cry baby home. You will have no longer than fifteen minutes once we arrive to get whatever you need. If you are late, unlike last time, I WILL leave you behind.”

A small smile grows on your lips. “Thank you so much Vergil.” He walks past you, and you quickly follow him to the door. “I don’t know this part of town; could you lead me back to the area where my car broke down?”

He doesn’t answer but you figure it’s a yes as the both of you leave the mansion and head down the dark city streets. Soon, you start to recognize buildings and landmarks.

“My home isn’t too far away.” You say as you take the lead and Vergil follows you. Soon, on the outskirts of town, you walk down your long street. The street seems almost abandoned at the late night hour and as if a warning, an eerie fog coats the streets and ground. This makes you even happier that Vergil had agreed to come with you. 

Soon enough, your house slowly emerges from the foggy darkness. As you approach closer, you discover that there is police tape around your front yard, stopping people from entering your house. The police tape isn’t that much of a barrier; you simply duck under it as Vergil gracefully jumps over it. Making your way to the back of the house, you find that your dad’s car is missing, no doubt taken by the police for evidence for their investigation. 

Lifting up a small rock in a flower pot by the back door, you snatch the spare key that somehow was missed by the police and open the back door to reveal the dark and dead silent interior of the house. You grab a flashlight by the door. If you turn on any lights then the neighbors might get suspicious and call the cops, which you REALLY want to avoid.

Hurrying, you go first to your room, leaving Vergil to roam your house freely. Digging out a large book bag from under your bed, you start to pack it with various clothing and essentials, adding in sentimental items only once you know you have enough room for them. Once your belongings are secure in the bag on your back, you gaze over at what’s left of your room. Things are scattered about from your hurried state, no doubt the police will wonder what happened when they find this in the morning. With one last look at all the things remaining in your room, you turn and head into the living room, where you left Vergil. You discover him standing by one of the end tables gazing at a small, framed picture on it.

Slowly, you make your way over to him only to realize what picture he’s so intently studying. “That’s me and my parents ten years ago. It was taken a few weeks before my mom was killed and our old house was burned down. The police said that a group of thugs did it, but they were never able to catch them. Ever since then, to this day, I am terrified of thugs; more so than demons.” 

Vergil doesn’t look or acknowledge you, but you know he’s listening to you. Unknown to you, your story brings something up in his mind; something that Arkham had told him when they were in the basement. ‘About ten years ago a girl was killed at the edge of town. It was an unusual death. Her home burned to the ground, and the cause of the death was unclear.’ Is it possible that that girl was your mother? It would make sense that the police would simply rule it out as a thug attack giving the circumstances. Vergil decides to keep it to himself; after all, it is not his place to tell you the possible truth of your mother’s death. Instead, seeing that you are finished, he walks towards that back door.

You start to follow, when I thought crosses your mind. “Oh yeah! Vergil, give me one more second!” You run off into your dad’s room and snatch your necklace that you had left on his dresser a few days ago. Returning to a surprisingly patient Vergil, you slip the necklace chain around your neck. Vergil takes note of it. It is a small metal necklace, with a pink tint in the shape of a bunny head.

You notice him eyeing it. “When I was small, I would miss my parents a lot when I was at school, so they gave this to me. It’s a locket with both their pictures in it. With both of them now gone…It’s one of the few things I have left…” Small tears slowly roll down your cheeks at that thought. You really ARE alone. Despite the fact you half keep thinking that this is nothing more than a dream, as more days pass, you realize that you are never going to wake up. This is reality, cold and bitter, not a dream or nightmare. 

Much to your surprise, Vergil doesn’t command for you to stop crying, or get annoyed with you. He simply turns and heads out the back door, you close behind. After locking the back door and deciding to keep the spare key, you follow Vergil through the streets and back into the heart of the city.

Something shines in your eyes as you continue to walk and you realize that it’s the streetlights reflecting off of a gold, red jeweled amulet around Vergil’s neck. Was he wearing that this while time? If he was then you didn’t notice until now. The red jewel reminds you of a big red drop of blood that is falling up into the sky.

“Pretty…” You mummer without realizing it.

Vergil slightly glances at you questioningly and he follows your gaze to his amulet. “It was a gift from my mother.”

“Your mom gave it to you?” The thought of the cold man next to you being a momma’s boy makes you giggle mentally. “Where is your mom? You never talked about her before.”

“She’s dead.” He says in his usual stern voice, which makes you regret asking.

Surprisingly, knowing that Vergil also lost his mother makes you feel….relieved. Is that why he let you cry in your house, and commanded you stop before at Arkham’s mansion? Because that picture of your family reminded him of his own? Maybe you’re not quite as alone as you thought you were.


	7. Evil in Small Forms

Fate  
Chapter 7: Evil in Small Forms

_“All things truly wicked start from an innocence” -Unknown_

____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

The silence isn’t awkward or tense, but calm and pleasant as you and Vergil continue to walk down the streets. Remembering something, you open your mouth to thank Vergil for changing your bandages earlier only to close your mouth again. You have thanked his so many times since you’ve met him. For killing those thugs, the demon that killed your dad, for letting you tag along, for killing the demon that attacked you in the alley, for saving you from Alice, for taking you home just now and now for changing your bandages while you were asleep. Despite his cold and intimidating personality, he’s done a lot for you that he didn’t have to do. And what have you done for him? Thanked him five hundred times. Isn’t there anything you can do for him in return instead of repeating the same words over and over? Vergil is very prideful, that much is easy to tell about him. Even by the way he walks anyone could see he carries himself highly. So would he even LET you help him in order to repay him for all he’s done for you? 

As you continue to walk, you get the feeling that you and Vergil are being watched. Gazing around, you spot a pair of yellow glowing eyes on a rooftop that disappear when they realize you noticed them. “I think something’s watching us.”

“So you’ve noticed as well.” Vergil continues to walk, acting as if he doesn’t know of your little stalker. Vergil’s voice is softer than it normally is, most likely to not alert your stalker.

“What is it? A demon?” You scan the roof tops out of the corner of your eyes and discover the same glowing golden eyes locked on your form.

Vergil doesn’t answer; instead he continues to walk back to Arkham’s house. All the while you follow the blue devil, making sure to keep an eye in the golden eyes that disappear from one roof as you move up the street, only to reappear on a closer one. 

You shut the door behind you as you and Vergil return to your shared room. You set your bag down near the foot of the bed to keep it out of the way, lest Vergil kick it out the window for disturbing his walking path. You stretch your shoulder, happy to have the weight off of it; your attention is drawn to Vergil. Or rather a piece of paper in his hand that he’s reading. 

“Not to disturb you or anything, but what was that thing that was following us?” You take the chance of him cutting your head off for bothering him in order to get an answer for your question.

“I assume you have not heard of Lycanthropy.”  
“Lycan…what?”  
Vergil sighs. “Lycanthropy.” His ice eyes shoot to you like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Werewolves.”

“That thing was a werewolf?” You ask, not believing what he has told you.

“Correct. They are beasts that tend to hunt in packs at night, however that one was alone.” Vergil isn’t the least bit concerned it was stalking you. Without another word, he pockets the paper and heads to the door, sword in hand. However he stops just as he’s opening the door. “Stay here.” With that, he walks out of the room, shutting the door before you can hear his footsteps fade down the halls.

Walking to one of the tall windows, you gaze out in time to spot Vergil leave and walk down the street to and destination unknown to you. With a sigh, you turn around to face the large dark, empty room. “Alone again.” To pass time, you grab some clean clothes from your bag and head into the bathroom for a much needed long, long bath to gather your thoughts.

You don’t know how many hours it’s been since you came out of the bathroom, but if the sun high in the sky is any hint; it’s been a really long time. During that really long time, you have been stuck in the stupid room, doing absolutely nothing. Needless to say, you’re about to scream from insanity at this point. Most of your time has been spent looking out the window at the city life below. Kids going and coming from school, parents rushing to get food for dinner, business men heading out of the office for a quick lunch before returning to their cubical work. The sky is clear and the sun is shining warmly on the city and you debate venturing out to explore some of the shops and maybe get something to eat.

Sure, Vergil told you to stay in the room, but you’re not a dog. You’re a human being and you need to get out or you’ll go stir crazy from being inside all day. From the little you know about werewolves they appear at night. Even Vergil had said that was when they hunt. So with the sun high in the sky shining bright rays down on everything, you doubt you have much to fear from them. However will you be safe if a demon finds you? You have first-hand experience that proves they’ll attack whenever they damn well please to. And if they DO then you’re screwed. 

Then again, if you stay close by, maybe you can go unnoticed. After all there are a lot of people out today so what are the chances of a demon attacking little old you out of all the people on the streets? Besides, it’ll just be a quick lil in and out to get out of this damn room. And you’ll be aware of your surroundings and be cautious. 

Making up your mind, you grab some extra money you had stashed in your bag and head out, careful not to run into Alice on your way out. You smile as the warm sun hits your face and a soft breeze floats though your hair. Humming lightly to yourself, you head down the sidewalk, looking at each small shop as you pass them. Most are clothing, or electronic stores mixed in with restaurants of all different kinds. One store in particular catches your eyes with its bright colors and movement. Children, walk in and out of its front door, huge grins on their faces. It has been ages since you have been in a toy store. 

Giving into your inner child, you decide to stop in. Much to your surprise, the store is much bigger than it appeared on the outside. Isle after isle is filled with trains, puzzles, video games, balls, books, hula-hoops and just about every other toy that could possibly exist in the world. You stop at a small section on the back wall that is between key chains and stuffed animals. Before you are all sorts of small stuffed key chains. You can’t help but to smile as you look though all the different tiny animals as a small girl about the age of five stands next to you also admiring the creations. 

One in particular catches your attention and you giggle slightly as you gaze at it. 

“What are you laughing at?” The girl asks innocently. 

“This one reminds me of someone is all.” You smile as you examine the key chain, still hanging on the hook. It is a small white cat with a blue ribbon tied around its neck. Its mouth is a small ‘x’ and its light blue eyes are shaped to make it look angry/pouting. >:x “He always makes this face.” You giggle some more.

“You should get it then.” The girl says cheerfully. “Maybe if he sees what he looks like he won’t be so grumpy all the time.”

You hold back another small laugh at the idea of Vergil acting like anything other than the cold man he is. “I doubt that would work on him, but still it reminds me too much of him to not get it. It was nice talking to you, but I better buy this and head home. I’m not supposed to be out.”

“You’re grounded?” She asks and you nod with a smile before waving goodbye and heading to the checkout. Once paid for, you leave and start to head back to the mansion. As you walk, a bad feeling overcomes you and you cautiously glance around. One man a short ways behind you locks eyes with you before increasing his pace. 

Cursing under your breath, you start to make a run for it, only to have another appear in front of you, blocking your way back to the house. You quickly go the only way you can, down an alley. As you run along, planning on looping back around to head back in the direction of the house, you spot a child walking down the alley humming a happy tune. As you get closer, you realize that it’s the same girl from the toy store. 

At this rate, the demons that have now shown their true form and are chasing after you will get not only you but her as well. “Girl!” you call out gaining her attention. She screams whens she sees what is behind you and starts to cry. As you pass her, you grab her hand and pull her along, running as fast as you can. You can hear the demon’s claws digging into the stone ground as you rush along, mind full of fear. Why didn’t you just listen to Vergil? Perhaps you had this coming for not obeying him; however you will not let this girl pay for your stupid mistake. You have to save her. 

Turning a corner you spot the house just across the street. Playing Frogger with traffic, you manage to get you and the girl safely across and to the front door. You grab the door knob but when you turn it the door doesn’t budge. It’s locked. 

A giggle catches your ears and you look to the window above to find it’s open with Alice sitting on the windowsill; a grin on her face.

“Alice, please open the door!” You beg.

“Why should I? With you out of the way I can finally win Vergil over.” She snickers.

“Arg, Alice just open the damn door!” You glance behind you to see the demons emerging from the alley across the street. “Vergil will NEVER like you regardless if I’m alive or dead. Even if he never found me that day to save me, he STILL would careless about you. If you want male attention get a job at the strip club down the street, what was it? Love Planet.” Clearly she won’t open the door until you’re dead, so you turn and run down the street while you still can before the demons corner you and the little girl. You run into a fenced in abandoned parking lot that is off the main roads. You help the girl over the high fence first before climbing it yourself. At the top, you lose your balance and fall forward onto the concrete parking lot below. 

Needless to say it hurt like a bitch.

As you stand, you notice that the girl is missing. Her scream gains your attention and you find her a short ways away in the grip of one of the demons; it’s clawed hand around her neck cutting off her air.


	8. Who's to Blame

Fate  
Chapter 8: Who's To Blame

_“Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A short ways away, you notice another demon eyeing you and starting to close in. Swiping a few large rocks from the ground, you take a deep breath and run. Sprinting past the demon that wants to eat your intestines as spaghetti, you take a rock in hand, aim, and throw it as hard as you can at the one that holds the struggling girl. 

The rock hits the demon hard in the head and it’s enough to move its attention to you and drop the poor child. Worry is still strong in you. Not for yourself, but the child. She’s not moving. A few other demons take interest in the hopefully unconscious girl and you send the rocks flying. The next thing you know, all the demons are fixed on you with their glowing red eyes and long, jagged, sharp teeth as they slowly close in on their pray, you.

Seeing an opening you take it and run past two of the demons who turn to attack but end up attacking each other. Upset with each other, they continue to attack until only one of the two is alive, though it’s badly injured. One down four more to go. You keep running until you reach more fence to give yourself as much room as possible. Turning reveals three of the four demons are now running after you, the injured one gimping behind them at a slower pace. That one is your target.

As you get ready to run again, your foot brushes something and a metallic sound reaches your ears. Looking down reveals a thin metal pipe about the size of a baseball bat. Perfect. Grabbing the pipe and a few more rocks, you run off to another fenced in end of the rectangular abandoned parking lot, making sure to keep away from the girl lest the demons become re-interested in her. Taking aim, you throw a rock in the air and hit it with the pipe like a baseball. It goes flying and smashes into the skull of the injured demon ending its life. 

Three more to go, you can do this. You tell yourself mentally as you take a deep breath. You HAVE to do this. If not, you AND the child will die. As one of the remaining three demons comes within range, you swing the pipe HARD. You can feel it make contact with the monsters head and a disgusted chill runs through you as a crunching sound fills your ears. Pain over flows your senses and you scream in agony. You repeatedly hit the demon whose teeth have found your still healing leg.

Something rushes in front of you in a blur and the pressure on your leg disappears, though the pain still remains. Collapsing to the ground and looking up, you find that all three demons are now focused on something much more menacing than you. A large body covered in fur stands on two long canine feet. A growl escapes its muzzle like mouth and its large glowing golden eyes lock on yours for all of a second before it turns its attention back to the demons and all hell breaks loose. Teeth and claws tearing and slicing flesh. 

Clenching your teeth and crying out again, you gaze down at your badly bleeding leg. If there weren’t scars on it from before there sure as hell are now. Sucking in a deep breath, you fight the pain as you attempt to stand. You have to see if the girl is okay and try to escape while the demons are distracted with whatever furry monster is that showed up. After all, even if it kills the demons, it very well may just turn around and claim you as its lunch. 

Standing proves to be extremely difficult and you hold back a gag as you feel the blood rush faster out of you as you do so. Hopping on one leg and supporting yourself on the fence, you start to make your way over to the girl. With every hop you make pain shoots through your leg from your good leg absorbing the shock from each little hop. 

Tears of pain start to run down your face as you focus on the girl’s unmoving body. So this is what it’s like. Hopelessness. You thought you’ve felt this before, but oh how wrong you were. You’re trapped with demons and monsters that aren’t even supposed to exist, because you ventured out against Vergil’s word it’s YOUR fault this girl is in the state she is. It’s YOUR fault that you’re about to pass out from ether pain or blood loss, whatever happens first. All of this is YOUR fault; of that you are certain. 

As you hop, your foot hits a pothole and you lose your balance. You hiss in pain as you hit the cement ground for a second time. Tears now run freely down your face. In the next moment you feel a hand roughly grab your shoulder and pull you up. The amount of pressure the hand has on your shoulder sends new, dull, pain though you. 

The world around you starting to blur from blood loss and the world around you goes silent. Not knowing what’s going on, you fight against the hand in an attempt to make it to the girl. You have to get to her. You have to know that she’s okay. However the hand is persistent and only tightens it’s already bruising grip when you struggle weakly against it. 

Suddenly, you are slammed against the fence, a hand snug around your neck, while the other hand remains on your shoulder. Your vision finally starts to clear and the noise of the world around you rushed back to you. 

“Keep struggling and I will kill you myself.”

Recognizing that voice, you blink a few times before you can see normally. Standing in front of you is Vergil. His hand remains around your neck as his eyes slice into your soul like swords. Oh yeah, he’s beyond pissed at you right now.  
Your sluggish mind however doesn’t fear him as it should; instead it’s dumbfounded at what just happened.

“Vergil?” To your surprise, your voice is weak and it’s hard to talk.

Also noticing this, Vergil removes his hand from around your neck, eyes remaining as sharp and angry as ever. Your vision blurs as the world around you suddenly moves. Once your brain catches up with the movement, you discover that Vergil has tossed you over his shoulder and is walking away from the lot.

Your eyes shoot up to see the demons dead and the monster heading towards the girl. “Vergil wait! We have to help her! That thing’s going to kill her!!” You plead goes ignored. “Vergil!!! It’s going to kill her!!! Vergil!!! Let me go! If you won’t help her then I will!!” You struggle, but Vergil’s grip on you remains strong. Becoming more frantic the farther away you get from the parking lot and the closer the monster gets to the girl you start to pound your fists into Vergil’s back, desperate to get to the girl.

“The more you move, the quicker you will parish.” Vergil’s voice is cold and commanding.

“I don’t care about what happens to me! I have to help her!” You continue to struggle.

“If you care for her as much as you clam you do then you would have listened. You were well aware that this would most likely happen if you came out here, and yet you did anyways.” Just as Vergil carries you around a corner, the last thing you see is the monster above the girl’s body.

Vergil’s words hit something in you and tears begin to fell. He’s right. It is your fault that she died. You knew that demons would go after you if they saw you yet you went outside anyways. You endangered everyone on the streets and shops. You made a mistake and an innocent child paid the price for it with her life. Her blood is on your hands. You can’t blame Vergil for this. You can’t even blame Alice. This was 100% your fault and you will have to live with this for the rest of your life.

You stop your struggling and go limp on Vergil’s shoulder. You can’t even tell Vergil that you’re sorry. It’s not him who you owe an apology to; it’s that girl. You don’t even know her name. You don’t know where she lived or who her parents were. You can’t even tell her mom and dad that she died because of you. 

As you gaze down at the sidewalk as it passes under Vergil, you notice drops of blood on it that had fallen from your now numb leg. Your mind becomes sluggish again and you fight to keep your eyes open as Vergil walks up to Arkham’s house. He doesn’t even attempt to open the door, as if he knows it’s locked. Instead he easily kicks it open, breaking the locks. Not even bothering to close it behind him, he makes his way to the stairs.

You’ve decided something. There is nothing scary about stairs until you go up them, slung over someone’s shoulder. The distance between you and them doubles and you feel like you’re about to fall at any moment despite the grip Vergil has on you. 

As you pass the balcony on the third floor, you look down to the first floor and spot Alice behind a corner gazing up with you, pure hatred in her eyes. Maybe it wasn’t the best thing to do, but you’re a bit loopy from the lack of blood so you don’t really care right now. Making sure she’s looking at you, you stick your tongue out at the demon child. This intensifies her rage and hatred tenfold; stomping her foot in anger as you are carried out of view away from the balcony.

As you are carried into your and Vergil’s room, he tosses you on the bed after shutting and locking the door. You try to move, but find yourself unable. Not only that, but you’re freezing! You want to curl up into a ball to keep warm, but not being able to move puts a damper on that plan. And as if to make matters worse, your leg is no longer numb; it’s burning as if someone set it on fire. A hiss leaves your lips and you look down to see Vergil inspecting your leg.

“It burns.” You mummer more to yourself than Vergil though clenched teeth. However your remark gains his attention and he glances up to you, his eyes and expression unreadable as normal. Setting your leg back down surprisingly gently, Vergil shifts up the bed more and places a hand on your forehead. 

A frown quickly appears across his lips. “Poison.”


	9. The Final Farewell

Fate  
Chapter 9: The Final Farewell

_“Dying? Dying is easy. What’s hard is living.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Poison?” Worry starts to set into you as you attempt to fight against your freezing body and burning leg.

“No doubt from the demon.” Vergil says as he stands and walks with a quick pace into the bathroom. You can hear Vergil rummaging through the bathroom cabinets and do your best to keep your mind off of the agony your body is now in. Your vision blurs and your head pounds as the world starts to spin around you, which you find odd considering you’re laying still on the bed. The blurry spin of the room around you becomes darker and darker as the burning pain intensifies in your leg. Your freezing body, not being able to fight off the demons poison any longer, shuts down and your world goes black. The last thing you see is a small blur of blue.

You open your eyes and are relieved to discover that not only is the pain in your leg gone, but your body is at a nice even temperature again. You can’t help but to sigh in relief and lay still savoring this moment after the agony you were in. Slowly you open your eyes to discover you are no longer in your and Vergil’s room. Bright, vibrant, and soft smelling flowers now surround you. You sit up and discover that the flowers actually make up a field that seems to be endless. The sky above you is cloudless and bright blue. As you stand, a gentle breeze dances with your hair. 

“Oh, you’re awake.” A warm, comforting voice, that sounds all too familiar, reaches your ears. Turning to look behind you, your eyes widen and a smile immediately appears on your lips. Before you is a woman. She is young, but is obviously older than you. She is dressed in a knee length white dress with her brown hair blowing in the breeze. 

You walk over to her slowly, unsure if this is real or not. Then again, you don’t really care! You missed her sooo much! You missed her voice, her smile, her smell, everything! Your walk quickly turns into a run and you embrace the woman in a tight warm hug, which she gladly and eagerly returns. 

“I love you mom.” Tears run down your cheeks at the words coming from your mouth. Ten years. It has been ten years since you last hugged her and told her those worlds. A long ten years since she died.

“I love you as well.” She smiles as the two of you pull away from the hug. “Very much so.” 

You just stand there and stare at her as if she might disappear at any second. Then something enters your mind. A question. The same question that you’ve been wondering for ten years now. “Hey mom, can I ask you something?”

“Of course dear.” Her entire aura is that of joy and cheer.

“Ten years ago… When those thugs burned down our house and… killed you…” You push back the horrid memories. “Why did they do it? Why you? The police say it was a random attack, but it just seems odd that they would attack and bother to even burn down the house.”

The smile on your mothers face fades and a nervous look consumes her face. “The police said that thugs did that?”

You nod. “Yeah, though they’ve never caught the people that did it.” 

You can see hesitation in your mother’s eyes. “Do not worry about it. You shouldn’t dwell on the past.”

Her answer brings a frown to your own lips. 

“There is someone else who wishes to see you.” She changes the subject.

“There’s my little girl.” Another voice calls to you and you look to your right to see your father walking towards you though the flowers with a large warm smile on his face. 

“Dad…” Images from the night you came home and saw his blood soaked hand hanging out of the car flashes through your memories. He walks up to you and embraces you before moving to stand next to your mother. 

Tears run down your face at the sight. It has been SO long since you’ve seen them standing next to each other smiling and happy as they are now. This moment, this whole place is wonderful. 

“What is wrong?” Your father asks, seeing you cry.

You shake your head. “This is just so…perfect.” In truth, there is no word that can be used to accurately describe how you feel right now. 

“If you want, you can stay here. With us.” Your mother offers.

You open your mouth to say yes. Yes you want to stay here. In this wonderful place with your mom and dad. To never feel pain, sadness, loneliness, hate, anger, fear. This place is like heaven. Perhaps it is heaven. But something crosses your mind. What of Vergil? It’s such an odd question you decide. Why is he on your mind? Sure he’s saved you enough times and hasn’t killed you when he seems the type that would kill anything he deems worthless. But you’ve only known him for what? Two? Three days? Three days out of the whole time you’ve been alive seems rather insignificant. But then again, perhaps it isn’t the amount of time you’ve spent with someone, but your actions as well as their own during that time. 

Vergil is cruel, heartless, cold, ruthless and uncaring. Yet despite that, he’s the only reason you’ve been alive as long as you have been. If Vergil has kept you alive this long you can only assume he wants you to live; otherwise he would have ended your life himself that day he first found you with those thugs. 

“I would love to stay here with you both, I really would.” Your smile slowly fades and your face becomes serious. “However I cannot. I can’t be that selfish. There is someone who wants me to continue to live, for now at least. He has done a lot for me and I owe him. I have to go back. I have to live as repayment for everything he’s done for me.”

“Are you certain? Here you will never know pain or sadness.” Your father questions.

You nod with a light smile. “I’m prepared to deal with that.”

“Very well.” Your parents smile back at you. “We love you, never forget that.” A bright light engulfs the world and you are forced to close your eyes and enter the darkness.

Dull pain surrounds and runs up your leg, but the pain is nothing compared to what it had been. The only noise is that of your steady soft breathing. You find that your body is still very weak and you don’t even attempt to move. Slowly you open your eyes. The room is dark, but your eyes are adjusted so you can make out a decent amount of the room. Looking over to a table by the bed, you see different medical bottles, gauze, bandages, a large glass with very little water left in it, along with bowls, bloody rags and other medical items. 

It seems Vergil has saved you yet again. You really need to repay him somehow. Moving your gaze to your other side, your eyes widen slightly when you discover Vergil, coatless, sitting next to you on the bed, his back against the head rest, eyes shut as he lightly sleeps. You’ve never seen him like this before; then again you’ve never seen him sleep before. He looks so different than the cruel man you’ve come to know. His face is relaxed, not holding its normal sternness. His chest rises and falls in a slow steady rhythm as he sleeps silently. 

You can’t help but to smile. As if he can feel your smile, his eyes open. Vergil’s sharp blue orbs lock with your calm ones. “Vergil,” You start but he cuts you off.

His hand moves to rest on your forehead. “Your fervor has broken. The antidote I gave you is breaking down the demons poison. Sleep, your body needs rest.” His voice is soft yet still holds its normal commanding tone it always seems to have.

Too weak to argue, you simply nod with a soft smile before closing your eyes and letting go of your fragile consciousness. 

When you wake, sunlight shines in through the open window curtains and you can hear birds chirping cheerfully outside. Sitting up, you discover that you are alone, though it doesn’t bother you. You are able to move around, though your body is still pretty weak and your leg still holds onto the dull painful throb. You notice that the table you saw last night with all the medical stuff on it is now gone without a trace. On the nightstand next to your bed, you spot a bottle filled with pills and a note next to it. Also on the table, next to the bottle and note sits the white cat keychain you got at the toy store. The sight makes you laugh hard. So, Vergil had found it, it seems. You can imagine his holding it in his hand glaring at it as it glares back at him before he gave up and tosses it on the table. You slowly swing your legs over the edge of the bed and reach for the note. 

The print is elegantly written and neat. ‘Take two every four hours. Do not leave the house.’

You laugh at the last sentence. Does he really think that after what happened last time you’re planning on going outside? If he wanted to get you out of this building he’s have to forcibly drag you kicking and screaming.

A soft knock at the door gains your attention as Kalina walks in with a tray of food. When she sees that you are awake you she greets you with a smile. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, thank you.” You smile back as she sets the tray of food next to the bottle of pills on the nightstand. 

“He said you would be.” Her smile widening slightly.

You don’t need to ask. You already know that the ‘he’ she’s referring to is Vergil. “Thank you.” You take a piece of toast from the tray and nibble on it. “Where is he anyways?”

She shrugs. “Who knows; he left early this morning with my husband. Those two,” She pouts. “I swear they’re up to something. Unfortunately I have more important things to worry about than where they venture off to every other day.”

You laugh lightly. “At least I’m not the only one whom they decided to leave in the dark.” 

Your comment makes a giggle leave Kalina. “True. Well, I’ll leave you to yourself then. If you need anything at all just come find me.” Nodding and thanking her once again, you watch as Kalina leaves and shuts the door behind her.

Once you’ve finished eating, you take two of the pills left for you before your eyes go to the bathroom. A nice shower will feel wonderful and it’s not like you have much else to do. Your legs wobble as you stand from being weak and your wounded leg protests the weight of your body by sending more pain into you. Doing your best to ignore the pain, you gather up clean clothes from your bag and head into the bathroom.


	10. Run Away

You groan in boredom as you lay spread out on the large bed. There is only so much you can do in this room. Sure you could go explore the house, but with your leg as messed up as it is, you really don’t want to try it. With that in mind, yet another groan leaves you. Where does Vergil go off to all the time? You never really thought about it before until Kalina brought it up. From what you gather he disappears with Arkham doing god only knows what. Glancing over to the chair by the window that Vergil usually sits at, you spot an old looking book sitting on it. 

It’s something new to look at, close by, and you’re bored as hell. Yeah why not? If Vergil didn’t want you to look at it then he ether would have said so or wouldn’t have left it just sitting there in the open. Standing up, you hiss as your leg protests the weight on it. Ignoring your wounded leg, you make your way over to the chair. You pick up the book before sitting in the chair it was resting on. 

Opening the book you discover that the writing is in some other language. It’s not German or French or anything; no that would make your life way to easy. The texts are weird symbols written across the pages. “What language is this? Don’t tell me he can actually read these.” You grumble as you flip through the pages of unknown content. 

Running a finger over the unusual text, you jump and the book clatters to the floor with a thud.

Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy  
one look puts the rhythm in my hand.  
Still I'll never understand why you hang around  
I see what's going down.

Your eyes shoot to your bag which is still at the foot of the bed. You know that sound, it’s your cellphone. But you turned your cell off at the library when you studied there with Ishon before you returned home to find your dad dead. So why is it now on and ringing? 

Standing, you gimp over to your bag and zip it open. On top of all your things and clothing is your cell phone. Its screen is lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number. 

“Hello?” You hesitantly answer.

“Leave.” 

“V-Vergil?” You about drop your phone in surprise when his cold commanding voice answers. Well, you know who turned on your phone. He must have also gotten your number….wait… that means he was in your bag! -.-*

“Leave the house.” 

“Last time I left demons attacked and you had to save me. (again) There is NO WAY I’m goin-“

“Now.” His voice is harsh and it dares you to defy him before the line goes dead.

“Shit.” You frown as you pocket your phone. Now what? Vergil wants you to leave, yet flashes of what happened last time you did send fear through you. What was it you said earlier? He’d have to drag you kicking and screaming? At the same time if he wants you to leave it has to be for a good reason, after all the only reason you’re still alive is because of him. A growl of frustration leaves you as you bite your lip, debating on what to do next. Vergil’s saved you enough and you still own him for that; the least you can do is listen to him. Right?   
Mind made up, you grab the bottle of pills Vergil left for you and toss them into your bag before hooking your cat keychain onto your phone. Pulling your bag onto your shoulder, your injured leg protests the extra weight. With a deep breath to calm your nerves and clears your mind you grip the door handle and head out into the hallway, shutting the door behind you. You head down the hall towards the balcony. 

A crash echoes up from the first floor and you cautiously, sneak closer to the balcony rail and peek over. “Get away from me!” Kalina scrams as you watch her run on the first floor, a trail of blood following behind her.

“With your life my dear, I will become a being of power.” A chill runs down you as Arkham calmly walks towards Kalina.

A small, whisper of a gasp leaves you, eyes widening with fear as Arkham moves his gaze from his wife up to lock with your trembling form before they return to his fearful wife.

You quietly back away from the balcony and out of Arkham’s line of sight. What do you do?! What do you do?!?! You want to help Kalina, after all look how much she’s helped you. And out of Vergil, Arkham and her, she’s been the nicest to you. Sure Vergil’s saved you countless times, but he always seemed annoyed doing so. Can you even save her? After all, it’s hard enough for you to even walk with your leg being as it is. And Vergil told you to leave. Did he know Arkham would try to kill Kalina? Which leads to your next unanswered question. WHY is Arkham trying to kill Kalina? 

First off if you want to try to help her, you can’t do so from way up on the second floor. Also since he’s seen you, staying in one place is a good way to corner yourself. You also have to keep in mind that Alice could appear at any moment, which you really, REALLY don’t need right now. 

Getting as close to the wall as you can to keep out of Arkham’s sight, you start to quietly make your way past the balcony and down the hall towards the stairs. With every step down the stairs, pain shoots up your leg. 

Fighting the pain, teeth clenched, you finally make it to the first floor. As soon as your foot hits the polished tile flooring, a blood chilling scream fills the house before everything goes silent. As if time has slowed down, you turn the peek around the corner to where Arkham and Kalina had been only to find Arkham holding some sort of blade as he stands over his motionless wife; fresh blood rushing over the tile floor. 

One thing you notice are markings on the blade Arkham holds. They resemble the ones in Vergil’s book. Just as you’re about to turn to leave towards the front door before you are spotted, footsteps running towards the murder catch your ears. You decide to take one more peek before doing as Vergil had commanded of you. 

You watch as a young girl, who appears to be around your age, if not a little younger comes running towards the scene, yelling at Arkham like a mad woman. Then it hits you. You’ve seen this girl before when you first came to this house; though you’ve never actually met her before. This is Mary, Arkham and Kalina’s daughter. You force yourself to look away and hurry as best as you can to the door. 

Outside, you’re not really sure where you’re supposed to go. All Vergil had told you was to leave the house. He never said where to go once you did leave. Was there a reason he didn’t? Is this his way of saying he doesn’t want you around anymore? Did he just save you one last time from Arkham before ending you on your way? 

You hope not. As much as he intimidates and frightens you, you feel the need to be close to him. Perhaps it is simply the feeling of safety he brings to you; like a security blanket. He’s saved you a lot and so you feel safe around him. That’s what you want. That feeling of safety. That’s the only real logical reason that you can think of to explain why you want to be around Vergil. You just want his protection. Right?

You frown at your thoughts. It frustrates you. You know that there is more of a reason than just wanting his protection, yet you can’t seem to find it. You shake your head lightly to clear your mind. Now is not the time to think over all of this. Right now Arkham just killed his wife; and if the way he looked at you is any hint, he wouldn’t mind killing you as well. No doubt Vergil knew Arkham would love to kill you.

You sigh and start down the street. The best thing you can do now is get some distance between you and Arkham’s house. Your eyes are constantly looking around you; looking for anything that might decide to turn into a demon and attack you. 

Quickly turning down an empty side street, you start to run as best as you can with your leg.   
_Fate:_  
noun: The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.   
Verb: Be destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way.  
Your lungs heave as air rushes in and leaves them. Your leg screams, pleading, begging you to stop; but you refuse to give in. Not now. Not after all that’s happened. Behind you, you can hear a distinctive giggling laughter above the sound of claws, snarls, and blood chilling growls.

You do not cry. Not this time. You’ve grown to use to this happening. Your mind isn’t foggy with panic or fear; rather, it’s clear with thoughts of what you must do if you want to survive, if you want to continue on in this life. 

Shapley turning the corner, among other garbage and decaying debris littering the alley, you spot a decent sized rusted pipe. Not pausing a second, you snatch it up as you run pass; knowing that to stop, even for a second, means death. The image of red hellfire eyes and sharp jagged teeth of your pursuer’s rushes into your mind, but you force them away before fear can gather up too much inside of you.

Yes, the situation is terrifying, but you need to push those thoughts away right now. You need to focus on how to survive this encounter and not on what will happen should you fail to escape. You can hear a set of tallied feet hit the dirt next to you. You turn, not daring to stop running, and swing the pipe as hard and as fast as you are humanly able at the moment. 

The rusted metal bashes into something solid and a gruesome crack is heard as the demons skull is shattered and it falls to the ground. Your eyes dart all around you as you run, looking for anything that can assist you in escaping the rest of our pursuers. 

“You can’t run from me girl!” The voice that the giggling laughter belongs to says. “I’ll kill you, destroy you, slaughter you, ERASE YOU!”


	11. Fearful Allies

Fate  
Chapter 11: Fearful Allies

_You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you. -Eric Hoffer_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You ignore the voice and the vile creature it belongs to as more lesser demons jump down in front of you from roof tops and block your path. You skid to a stop smashing in yet another demon’s head in the process, killing it. 

“Shit.” You mummer to yourself realizing that they have you surrounded in a small, secluded, alleyway. Now what? Well, you sure as hell aren’t going to make it easy for the bratty devil and her pet demons. 

A slimy smirk grows on your pursuers red lips. “He won’t come. You know that don’t you?” Her voice speaking it as if it were a fact of life. “He won’t care when I tare that pretty skin of yours off. He won’t even blink an eye in sorrow that you’re gone; hell, he’ll be glad to get rid of you. You’re like a tick attached to his side; an annoying nuisance. Nothing more.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am nothing but a nuisance to him. But I never expect to be more than that to him. I don’t expect him to save me. I don’t expect him to care or feel anything when I die someday. Which is a hell of a lot better than you. You expect him to care for you. You expect him to protect you; and you think you can achieve this by killing me. You want me dead so bad? Go right ahead! I’m tired of running from you! I’m tired of you! So go ahead and erase me from existence. But remember this well Alice; even when I’m gone and dead, he will never care for you! He never has and never will.” You lower your pipe, a glare on your face that could rival Vergil’s. You refuse to run from your demons any longer. From now on, you’re going to face them head on, even if it gets you killed.

“YOU BITCH!!!!” Alice shrieks and lunges at you. You don’t close your eyes. You don’t even blink. The glare on your face however is replaced with a look of surprise and shock when you catch a glimpse of white hair behind her right before a sword is trusted out of the front of her chest. As the blade is removed from her, she falls to the ground, her eyes like hate filled daggers as she glares at you before she turns to dust and dies; the demons around her also turning to dust.

You look past her ashes to your savior. His sky blue eyes lock with yours for a second before he takes a few steps towards you. “Thank you.” You smile and feel your body relax knowing that you’re save.

“No problem.” He smirks. “I like a good cat fight just as well as the next guy, but that looked a little one sided to me. Hope you don’t mind be stepping in.”

“Not at all.” You can’t help but to laugh lightly. “You really are his twin aren’t you? I just can’t get over how much alike you look.”

“I assume you’ve met my stick up his ass brother then.” The smirk never leaving his lips.

“Yeah. It’s kinda a long story, but he was letting me tag along with him for a few days.” You explain.

“And you’re still alive?! You sure you’re talking about V?” His eyebrows rise in playful surprise.

“Haha, I know. Odd isn’t it?”

His expression becomes serious suddenly. “Why are you with him any-“

“Dante.” The cold, commanding voice makes you jump, yet doesn’t seem to faze Dante. 

“Good to see you again bro.” Dante turns his head to look behind him towards the end of the alley. 

Vergil’s response is to shoot Dante a glare before his ice blue eyes travel past his twin to you. “Girl, come.” His voice is harsh and you dare not define him. You slowly walk towards Vergil but as you pass Dante his arm shoots out in front of you, stopping you in your tracks.

“What is she to you V?” Dante asks, his back still to his brother.

“I don’t see how it’s any concern of yours.” Vergil reply’s coldly.

“You’re my brother which MAKES it my concern. That and I know you. You’re not the type to take in strays.” Dante’s voice rivals Vergil’s in seriousness. 

“It was her choice.” Vergil simply states, annoyed at Dante.

Dante glances to you curiously examining you. You know his silent question and nod, which just makes his curiosity build. However, content for now, he lowers his arm and lets you pass him. You quickly make your way to Vergil. As soon as you reach him, he shoots one last death glare to Dante before turning and leading you out of the alley and into an empty city street.

The long walk to nowhere is quickly filled with awkward silence. “Why did Arkham kill Kalina?” Your question is met with silence from the man in front of you so you try again. “You know why he killed her right? That is why you called and warned me.”

“He killed her to gain power. He had a choice and he chose to become a demon himself to gain the power as one.” Vergil explains annoyed. You decide not to push it farther, as annoyed as he sounds. 

Once again the loud awkward silence returns as you continue to follow behind the white haired man. You frown in thought as something else hammers on your brain. Every time since you’ve met him, Vergil always saves you from danger. Why? 

You stop walking. “Why?” 

Vergil stops a few steps ahead of you. He doesn’t make a sound nor does he turn to face you.

“Why did you come? Why do you always come?” You continue.

“Would you rather I didn’t?” Vergil questions harshly.

“It’s not like that.” You frown. “Of course I am. I’m pretty fond of living after all. It’s just…why do you keep saving? You don’t seem like the type of person to do something that wouldn’t benefit you.” 

“It’s none of your concern girl.” Vergil replies icy before continuing down the empty street. Not wanting to be left behind, you follow.

Unknown to you, Vergil in irritated beyond reasoning. In truth, he himself doesn’t’ know why he keeps saving you and it’s driving him to the brink of his patience. At first, he let you tag along out of pity, fully intending on ditching you. However after he discovered the truth of your mother’s death, the pathetic pity he felt towards you changed into curiosity.

Another thing is your blind courage. You’re fearful of demons and him, of that he’s sure. He’s showed you enough of his demonic power that would have others running the other way screaming. Yet you, fully knowing of his demonic blood, stay by his side. Why? Why do you stay at his side, even though you’re afraid of him? He can easily kill you at any second; he’s even proved this by threatening you multiple times. Yet here you are, still by his side. 

It irritates him to no end not knowing. Not knowing why he keeps saving you. Not knowing why you remain next to him. The unanswered questions eating away at his mind, irritating him more and more each passing hour; irritated even more so that he cannot banish such foolish things from his mind.

“Vergil.” You speak up, determined to get an actual answer to your question. “Please! Why do you keep saving me? Is it because you want to use me somehow or because you see me as a friend?”

In the next instant, you find your back against a building’s wall, Vergil’s sword Yamato at your throat, its point slightly digging into your flesh making a few drops of crimson run down your neck. Vergil’s eyes are filled with such pure anger you feel your heart almost stop in sheer terror. 

Sudden pain shoots up your leg and realization strikes you. The wound on your leg has opened up when you were running from Alice and you are now, once again, bleeding to death. What’s worse is that the pain has increased tenfold. Why the hell didn’t you notice it sooner?! …oh yeah… your adrenaline was keeping you going. Shit this really isn’t good. You’re bleeding to death with a pissed off Vergil pointing a sword at your throat. 

Tears run down your face both from pain and fear. You can feel the strength leave and your legs start to wobble, straining to remain standing. Suddenly, your legs give out and you fall to the ground. Just before you fall, Vergil removes Yamato, as to not slice you open on your way down to the ground. 

Blood pools around your leg as you sit there, tears still falling from the situation as a whole. Vergil knees next to you, sword now sheathed and secured at his hip under his blue coat. He reaches out to your blood soaked pant leg but you flinch away from him, making him stop. You can feel his eyes move from your leg to your face, but you try to ignore it, too fearful to look him in the eyes. 

You can barely hear a soft whisper of a sigh leave him as his one arm wraps around your upper back by your shoulders. You’re about to pull away frantically, but he’s much too fast and in the next instant his other arm is hooked under your knees and he lifts you up as he stands. 

His run is smooth, not bumpy as he runs down street after street, faster than a normal human could ever hope to run. You attempt to pull away from his warm chest as much as possible, but his only reaction is to tighten his grip and draw you closer. You still don’t dare to look up at his face. What will it hold? Anger? Irritation? Annoyance? Hate? You can feel his eyes glance down to you once in a while. He knows you’re avoiding eye contact with him because you’re afraid. 

Vergil slows to a fast walk as he carries you up a driveway and into a one story, expensive looking house that sits on a hill overlooking the city. You don’t get much of a look at the fancy Victorian interior as Vergil walks down a narrow hallway and into a large bedroom with a wall of windows to your right that overlooks the city. 

He carries you straight ahead and sets you onto a very large fluffy bed, surprisingly gently. As soon as you are safely on the bed he leaves the room and you can hear him rummaging through something before he returns. He sets a bottle of disinfectant, bandages, a washcloth, lighter, and a needle and string at the foot of the bed by your feet, before removing his coat and gloves and setting Yamato against the wall.

Vergil sits on the bed, bringing your bleeding leg to rest on his lap. Using the washcloth, you hiss as he wipes away as much of the blood as he can in order to see the wound clearly. Next is your painful ally Mr. disinfectant. You attempt to pull away as he pours the liquid over your leg, but his strong hand keeps you in place, preventing you from moving or struggling much. 

You’re eyes widen at what he picks up next. The lighter, string and needle. As he disinfects the needle by running in the flame of the lighter, you pull away from him and crawl to the other side of the bed. You are NOT letting him give you stitches! No way no how!


	12. Gift of Courage

Fate  
Chapter 12: Gift of Courage

_A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is one who is quiet and sheds tears for a moment, and then picks up her sword and fights again. -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You’re about to crawl off the bed when a hand clamps down on the foot of your injured leg, making you cry out when you try to move away from it. 

“Turn around and be still.” His voice is harsh and you still avoid his face in fear. 

Reluctantly, you do as he says. You really don’t want him to turn you over onto your back using your foot, which is connected to your bad leg. As he brings the threaded needle to your wound you close your eyes and whimper as you feel it pierce your sensitive flesh and emerge just to sink into it again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven stitches you count as Vergil bandages you attempt to ignore the throbbing coming from it. 

You can feel the bed move as Vergil stands and leaves the room. A glance over tells you he took the medical items with him. You hate this. You hate being afraid of him. Sure he treated your leg, but the pure anger filled in his eyes when he held Yamato to your neck is burned into your mind, adding onto your fear.

You sit and bring your legs up to your chest resting your forehead on your knees as tears start to travel down your cheeks once more. 

Vergil is filled with more irritation as he puts away the medical supplies. His irritation is also brought with surprise. He’s not annoyed that he had to once again treat your leg, which surprises him. What surprises him more is that he’s instead irritated that humans heal so slowly. Because of the demonic blood in him, his wounds heal almost instantly, but for you, a human, it feels like your wound will never heal. He realizes that he doesn’t mind tending to your injuries anymore, but what has him upset is that you have injuries to start with. 

The irritation of your injury added to not knowing why he keeps saving you and allows you to be by his side leads him to one conclusion. If he is to cut back on the annoyances then there is only one he can control for now. He’ll have to make sure you don’t get injured again. It will at least cut back on the nuisances he has to deal with on top of him having to deal with Arkham to make his plan for power succeed. 

You can hear soft footsteps as Vergil reenters the bed room. You don’t look up at him. You can’t. It’s all you can do to not tremble. Besides, he’ll most likely just become angrier at the fact you’re crying. You can feel the bed dip as he sits in front of you. 

What feels like an hour passes by; you can still feel his gaze on your slightly shaking form. He knows what it is you fear. You jump slightly when he sighs, breaking the silence.

“Look at me.” His voice isn’t harsh or cold, yet it’s commanding.

You sit stone still, debating on what to do. Finally, you make a decision and shake your head, keeping your face hidden in behinds your bent legs.

“I won’t tell you a third time.” Vergil’s voice is more harsh and firmer this time as he warns you.

Still you sit there, unmoving without a sound. You REEEEAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYY don’t want to look at him. You’re too afraid of what you’ll see; especially now since he already warned you. You can sense him growing more and more impatient. You jump when you feel a hand force your head up to look at him. Before you meet his face, you squeeze your eyes shut tight. 

A faint, annoyed growl leaves his lips. You can feel tears’ sliding down your face as a whimper leaves you. Silence returns as you can feel his eyes study you. You are only vaguely aware of the bed shifting ever so slightly. You can feel a light warm breeze on your face and it doesn’t take your nervous mind long to realize that its Vergil’s breath. How close is he? 

“Look at me.” Unlike before, Vergil’s voice is a soft whisper having lost all sharpness and harsh tone.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, you gather up your courage and slowly open your eyes. You can feel your face flush pink at his closeness; face inches from your own and you can feel your heart beating heavily in your chest. His eyes are sharp as always, yet they seem to not only calm you, but chase away all your fears of the man in front of you. 

There’s something you learned about Vergil. Though he seems emotionless and ruthless with an icy personality, you discovered that if he ever wanted you to see any emotion from him, he would show it though his eyes. His blue orbs speak all the words he’s too prideful to say or tell you. Like right now. His eyes hold calmness and a tiny pinch of regret, yet they retain all their usual sharpness and strength. 

As he breaks contact and stands up, you can’t help but to let a small smile on your lips. Somehow, you know everything is going to be okay. Something you saw in Vergil’s eyes states it like a fact. 

“Take this.” Vergil holds out a glass of water and a pain pill, of which you gladly accept. “Remain here and rest. I will return.” 

You watch as Vergil leaves the room and shuts the door behind him after grabbing Yamato, his coat and gloves. Shortly after, you hear the faint sound of the front door quietly shutting before silence returns to you. It’s one of those silences where nothing dares to make even a slight sound. Defining silence. 

Digging your cell phone out of your pocket, the small screen reads 23 unread texts and at least 30 some missed calls. Right, you have friends that lead a normal life and are no doubt going crazy from worry. After all your dad was found dead at your house and the police have called you in as a missing person. 

\-----------------------------------------------

“WHERE ARE YOU?! ARE YOU OKAY?! EVERYONE THINKS YOU WERE KIDNAPPED!!”

You let out a long, loud sigh. “I’m fine Melody. I wasn’t kidnapped, don’t worry about me. Okay?” 

“How can I NOT? Your dad was murdered, and you are nowhere to be found! Of COURSE I’m going to worry! We’re ALL worried! Where are you? I’ll come get you right now!”

“Calm down Mel. I’m happy that you were worried. It’s nice to know that I have people that care so much for my well-being; but don’t completely freak out. I’m unharmed (for the most part) and I’m safe. I promise you that.” You plead. 

“Where are you at? Is someone with you? What happened? Why did you run away? I know that your dad’s death must have been hard on you, but still you shouldn’t have run away. You have me, Ishon, Liz and everyone else.”

“I’m not going to tell you where I’m at. But I won’t keep you completely in the dark ether. The…person that killed my dad was still there when I came home from the library. He chased me and my car died on me. I ran into someone who saved me. He’s a good man and he’s been protecting me from the group of people that man that killed my dad belonged to.” You hesitate while she takes in everything that you said.

“Is the mafia after you or something?!” You can see how she came to that conclusion and decide to roll along with it, not wanting to expose her to the world of demons. 

“Kinda. I promise you that I’ll be okay.” You hesitate. “You’re not going to see me again…”

“What do you mean? You ARE in danger aren’t you! Please let me help!”

“Goodbye Melody.” You say softy before ending the call and turning your cell off for good. It fills you with sorrow to cut yourself off from your old life and the people who care for you, but you know that if you want to protect them, this is the only way. 

Flopping back onto the bed, you take a deep breath to clear your mind. You did the right thing. Right? Then why do you feel so sad? In truth, you’re only where you are by chance. If that demon didn’t kill your dad, if it was gone by the time you got home, if your car never broke down when you ran from it, if Vergil hadn’t been there; then you wouldn’t be where you are today. What are the chances of things turning out the way they did. 

You stare at the ceiling deep in thought. What if all of those things were supposed to happen to you at the very second they did? What if you were meant to run into Vergil in the rain that first day you saw him? What if your dad was meant to be killed, that demon was meant to chase you, your car was meant to break down and Vergil was meant to be there that night to save you? You frown at the thought. Was all of this supposed to happen? Was all this supposed to happen to you the moment you were born? Is this truly your fate? 

You jump as the bedroom door opens. Sitting up, your eyes meet Vergil’s. The odd expression on his face puzzles you. “What’s with the weird face? Did I grow a second head or something?”

The expression quickly vanishes back into his normal unreadable face. “I am merely surprised that you remained here and did not run off though the city again.” 

“Why would I do something stupid like that?” You grin as he moves over to you and sits on the edge of the bed.

“I wonder the same question.” He retorts.

You can’t help put to pout slightly. “I went out ONCE! The second time was because you told me to.”

“Give me your wrist.” He changes the subject abruptly. Without thinking you place your right wrist in his waiting hand. Was his skin always that warm? You watch as he slips a beaded band around your wrist before pulling his hand away. 

Your eyes widen slightly with curiosity at the bracelet around your wrist. Its polishes medium sized round beads are all white with a black bead here and there. As if he knows what you’re going to say before you say it Vergil explains. “It will ward off lesser demons and protect you from them.”

“Wow.” You say speechless. What CAN you say? You never expected him to do something like this for you, after all this is Vergil. “Thank you.” You smile and run your fingers over the beads.

“It will provide no protection for a more powerful demon; however it should keep me from having to save you every time you go out alone.”

Go out alone? Does he really mean that with this you can go out into the city by yourself and won’t have to worry about demons? This has got to be one of the best gifts anyone ever gave you. Vergil has given you not only protection and some peace of mind, but some of your freedom back as well.

“Now, move.” He stands.

“Wha-?”

“Get out of my bed. You are capable of sleeping on the couch.” Vergil sure knows how to kill a mood doesn’t he? You pout at him and reluctantly stand and make your way to the living room by the front door.


	13. Trust

Fate  
Chapter 13: Trust

_"Deciding whether to trust or credit a person is always an uncertain task. " -Aldrich Ames_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Wake up girl." An annoyed Vergil commands.

Groaning, you open your eyes. Vergil's couch isn't the most comfortable make-shift bed in the world, but it beats sleeping on the hard, wooden floor. 

"Get dressed quickly." You grunt when he tosses your bag onto your stomach. Was he always this bossy in the morning? You attempt to recall. Then again, this is the man that's known to be authoritative and threatening. He's always bossy regardless of the time of day or night.

Not wanting to argue or anger the man who is currently glaring at you for being slow to move, you grab your bag and stand before making your way to the bathroom.

After you change into clean clothing, as well as wash and brush you hair, you decide that Vergil can wait one more minute. Ou carefully unroll the bandages that's wrapped around your leg to take a look at your injury.

Much to your joy, the stitched up wound is looking a lot better than it did the night before. It's still sore but it no longer throbs and it should be okay to walk on so long as it doesn't open up again or gets injured by another demon. 

When it does fully heal it will leave a pretty bad scar that you'll have to look at the rest if your life, but the though of a scar doesn't bother you. It will just be a reminder of how many times Vergil had to save your sorry ass. 

After re-bandaging your leg, you leave the bathroom. You find Vergil waiting down the hall in the living room by the front door. When he sees you, he walks out the front door. Quickly, you follow behind him, tossing your bag into the couch.

Out in the large, well taken care of, front yard, you watch as Vergil opens a small door and enters the garage. 

Having only the small door open, you can't see where he went or what he's doing from the angle you're standing. Not a second later a loud rumble echoes into your ears. Upon hearing the distinct sound your nerves starts to grow. He's not planning on THAT is he? He doesn't plan on you to... Oh god... Your fear is confirmed when he pulls out of the garage on a large blue motorcycle. 

"Get on." His command is simple when he stops next to you on the death trap.

"....Umm...." You really don't like motorcycles. Then again, you've never actually been on one before. 

Sensing your obvious distress, Vergil sighs annoyed. "Our destination is 147 miles away. Would you prefer to walk?"

His threat being a lot scarier than riding the motorcycle, you climb on behind Vergil. After figuring out a good place to put your feet, you jump when Vergil takes off. Terrified, you cling to the back of Vergil's blue coat as it flutters in the wind.

Slowly, you get a little more used to the high speeds and the wind and cars around you, though your iron grip doesn't loosen a centimeter. 

Looking at the city around you, a small smile quickly grows on your lips. It's day time. The sun is out. People populate the streets as you and Vergil pass them by.

Everything seems so normal. No demons or monsters. No Alice or creepy Arkham. Most of all, no darkness. Everything seems bright, sunny and happy. Like that feeling you get on the last day of school when the final bell rings signaling the start of summer break.

You savor this feeling knowing that, deep down, it won't last. Without realizing it, you relax enough for your strong grip on Vergil's coat to loosen considerably. 

As the two of you leave the city behind, you can't help but wonder where you're going. It can't be anywhere permanent because Vergil told you to just change clothing, not to bring our bag with you. You only can assume that this must just be a day trip.

Perhaps this trip has something to do with what Vergil and Arkham do when they disappear. But if that's true then why is Vergil bringing you along this time out of all the other times? Does he just want to get you involved? Does he need your help with something? Or is he brining you for a different reason entirely?

After the two an a half hours of unanswered questions running through your mind, Vergil pulls off the main road and down a less busier one.

Snapping out of the daze you were in, you find yourself in another city; this one is much larger than the city you grew up in. Highways stretch around the city like a maze. How anyone could find the right street is a mystery that you doubt even the great Sherlock couldn't solve. 

You watch the scenery change as Vergil drives away from the city and into the neighboring countryside. 

After a half hour, Vergil stops on the side of the road in front of a large, over grown, iron gate.

After the long ride, you are relieved to get off the motorcycle and be able to stretch you legs out and stand.

As you follow Vergil to the closed gate, you find a small spot that's not over grown where you can see through. The large yard is overgrown, as if it hasn't been tended to for a long time, like the fence and gate and in the center is a large round fountain that looks like it hasn't been run or cleaned in years.

Behind the gate you also notice a house. It, like everything else on the property, is large. Between its broken windows, creaked driveway that's flooded with weeds breaking through the cement, and the dirty house siding that appears to have been white at one point long ago, it's obvious that no one has been here for years.

Stopping in front of the gate next to Vergil, you glance down at the latch of the closed gate and find a thick chain holding the it closed tightly.

"It's locked." You mumble your thoughts out loud, more to yourself than to Vergil.

Without a word, Vergil kicks the gate. The chain snaps into pieces as if it were made of cheap plastic, at the same time opening the gate.

You follow the blue tail of Vergil's coat as he walks past you and proceeds up the driveway.

Now that you're inside the yard, you notice things you couldn't see from the street. Like a wind charm on the porch, a few old children's toys that lay hidden in the wildly growing shrubs, and a few empty beer bottles that litter the lawn. But what you notice most of all is how quiet it is. Not even the insects or birds dare to make a sound in such a place as this.

You stand next to Vergil when he stops at the front double doors. Reaching out, you grip the door handle. Much to your surprise, the door is unlocked. 

You begin to crack the door open, but pause. Something seems...off. You can't put your finger on it, but warning bells are going off in your head.

Hesitant to open the door, you look to Vergil. He must sense it as well because his attention is neither on you nor the house, but instead he's looking over his shoulder slightly, out into the yard. His face is serious as always, but it hold something more to it now. 

Caution.

He suddenly pushes you into the house and closes the door behind you as you faceplant right into the dust covered floor. 

As you stand, you're about to yell at him but two things stop you. One, you are now alone in this horror movie house. And two, as you look out the door window, you notice that Vergil's body is tense, his hand on his sword, ready to draw it and strike down his enemies at any given moment.

You can only watch in horror as numerous demon like creatures appear. A few jump down from the high roof, one or two emerge from the fountain and the rest seem to appear out of nowhere. 

Well, you know why you had that bad feeling. No doubt this is how victims in horror movies must feel.

You continue to watch as the demons approach Vergil, baring their fangs, claws and a few are armed with scythes. As they move closer, suddenly they-

Your attention is immediately drawn from the battle and snarls outside to the open room to the left when you hear something move. 

The only light in the dark, dim house is coming from the few windows that aren't boarded up, which isn't much considering how cloudy it has become outside.

Slowly, as quietly as your shaken body is able, you creep to the rooms archway and, after taking a deep breath, you peer inside the room. 

The room, like the rest of the house, is dim with a thick layer of dust coating every little thing. The room in question looks like a living room of some sort. A large fireplace is across the room from you with a long Victorian couch resting a short ways in front of it. 

Above the fireplace is a plaque with a stuffed boars head mounted on it. To either side of the fireplace is a floor to ceiling wall of bookshelves, of which are stuffed with old, dusty books of what you guess to be of all topics and sizes. 

Hesitantly, you step forwards looking around trying to pinpoint the source of the sound you heard. Stopping next to the couch, you glance down to the floor. In the thick dust you discover something unusual.

What appears to be a hoof-like print is in the dust. Could it have been made by an animal that had gotten into the house somehow? By the looks of the print, added with the movement you heard, whatever it was couldn't have gotten very far.

Looking up, you stare at the boars head. Man that thing is CREEPY! You feel like it could come alive any....

"Wait a..." Straining your eyes, you take a step closer to the boars head to get a better look at it.

Suddenly realization hits you like a truck when you follow the head down to a neck and large, built, body.

The creature suddenly moves to attack, smashing its large hand down a few inches away from you, creaking and breaking the floor boards. 

The damn thing stood right in front of the plaque knowing you would mistake it's boars head for a mounted trophy.

The creature's head almost hits the ceiling as he towers over you before turning to a nearby wall and yanking a large battle axe from it before turning back to you.

Without a second thought you bolt out if the room and head up the steps to the second floor just before the axe crashes into the wall where you had been only seconds prior. 

The steps make a creaking sound as the old wood protests the creatures weight.

Stopping for a second, you remember something. Looking at your wrist, the beaded bracelet that Vergil had given you is letting off an orangeish glow, which seems to intensify with each step closer the demon makes up the steps towards you.

Vergil had said it will ward off lesser demons and protect you right? Will it protect you from pig head? You bite your lip and glance back to the demon as it reaches the second floor and turns to you. Every human instinct in your body is screaming to run. However one thing, and one thing alone keeps you glued in place. 

As intimidating, threading, authoritative, and ruthless Vergil is, you trust his word.  
If he gave this to you to protect you from becoming demon chow then it will do just that. It's a gamble with your life on the line, but Vergil said it would work so your feet don't move.

It's time you stop running and face your fears. Vergil gave you the courage to do so in the form of a protective, magical, anti-demon bracelet.  
Legs shaking, body trembling, and mind pleading with you, you stand your ground as the demon stops before you and raises its axe. This has to be the ultimate test if trust.


	14. Book of Secrets

Fate  
Chapter 14: Book of Secrets

_"Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own." -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Legs shaking, body trembling, and mind pleading with you, you stand your ground as the demon comes to a stop inches from you and raises its axe.

You don't close your eyes; you don't even blink for a second. No, if this is your end, you will face it head on.

The blurred movement of the axe coming down upon you fills your vision. Suddenly, the orange glow emitting from the bracket highly intensifies and you stumble back slightly when six orange floating swords shoot out from it and pierce the demon, shattering into small shards as they penetrate.

The creature emits a horrid, pain filled racer as the orange blades slice its vital organs. Blood pouring from the beast, it loses strength and falls, landing in the very axe that was about to end your very own life.

The orange glow recedes back into the bracelet as you watch the demon turn into dust.

Lifting your wrist, you gaze at the beaded band around it. You hoped it would protect you, but you didn't expect swords to come shooting out of it! Where did Vergil even get this thing at anyways?!

Hearing steady, familiar footfalls down stairs, you walk around the demon's ashes and down the steps.

Vergil simply glances your way emotionlessly as he passes and heads deeper into the house.

"Where did you find this thing at? I doubt Walmart has a sale on sword shooting demon killing jewelry." You question as you follow him into a room that appears to be a study of some sort.

Like the living room, it has ceiling to floor bookcases as well, only in a much larger volume. All four walls are made up of nothing but bookshelves as well as bookshelves forming walls of their own throughout the large room. You doubt that even your local library has this many books, as all the shelves are filled to burst.

"About the bracelet..." You start to question again.

"It's of no concern of yours. It saved you and killed the demon. That should be enough. Or, if you continue to pester me on the subject, I can take it back. I'm sure you'll be just fine fighting the demons on your own." Vergil threatens as his attention is focused on looking through the countless books.

After watching in silence as Vergil skims over shelf after shelf, you start to wonder. "We came all this way for some book?" 

Vergil doesn't answer or even acknowledge he heard you. Then again, you didn't think he would explain anything to you to start with, especially after his threat.

"An elderly man used to live here," Much to your surprise Vergil starts. "He was obsessed with books. He discovered a particular book, the only kind of its making. It brought about his demise."

"The book killed him?" You find that a little hard to believe, which is displayed by the frown on your face.

"The book is written in an ancient demon text that very few are still able to read." He explains. "I require it."

It doesn't surprise you that Vergil would know this 'ancient demon text'. If he's looking for it and the old man died from it, no doubt whatever it contains must be highly valuable, especially considering all the demons that were here to greet you. 

Watching Vergil skim by every book cover quickly bores you. So you decide to entertain yourself by exploring the rest of the abandoned house.

As you mindlessly wander from room to room, the environment makes you depressed. The old man that used to live here died from a simple book?

A frown spreads across your face. Though you never knew him, nor will you ever, you can't help but to feel sad for the poor old guy. He just wanted to add to his magnificent book collection and it ended up killing him.

No doubt he was similar to you that way. You both just wanted to spend your lives doing what you loved. But because demons, or demonic books in his case, crossed your paths that hope of living a normal life was shattered.

One thing bothers your mind however. He was attacked because of the book he found. Why were you attacked that night? What is the reason why your father is now dead and your life ruined?

If Vergil hasn't been there that night to kill that demonic lion thing, then you would be no different from the old man that once lived here. But why did that demon want YOU dead? It killed your dad then waited in a nearby shadow; like it knew you were going to show up.

"...oh god..." Realization hits you like a land mine and you have to lean against a wall for support.

It was a trap.

It had to of known somehow that you would have gotten out of your car and go to see what was up with your dad’s car; unknowingly walking right up to it.

Your dad died because the demon was after YOU. That also explains why it went through the trouble of chasing- no, HUNTNG you down when you ran from it in your car.

But why would a demon be after you?! You’re just a normal person. Just plain Jane. The girl down the street. Why you of all people? 

You can't help but to wonder... Those other demon attacks... Were they after you because you were with Vergil? Or for a different reason?

Looking up, you find yourself in a half destroyed bedroom. The large, once plush, bed is cut in half and large claw marks paint the walls with old, dried splatters of crimson. Is this where he died?

Your eyes go to a dresser, whose surface looks like it went through a wood chipper. Curious, you make your way over to it, walking over various debris that litter the floor. All but one drawer is taken out if it, which adds to your curiosity. Who would leave a dresser in such a state but leave the one drawer untouched?

Unlike the rest of the shredded dresser, the one remaining drawer looks almost brand new, without so much as a scratch on it.

Puzzled, you grip the handle and pull. A frown spreads to your lips when it moves slightly, but won't open. Placing a foot against the dresser for more leverage, you tighten your grip and pull with all of your might.

A small yip leaves you as you fall back on your butt when the drawer suddenly gives in and opens. Smiling victoriously, you stand and peer inside the untouched drawer.

You frown when you discover it to be empty. All that for nothing? What a disappointment.

You're about to head back to Vergil when you notice something odd about the drawer. There's a gap between the bottom and the side of the drawer. Cautiously, you pick at the gap and discover that the bottom is actually false.

Removing the false bottom, the secret compartment is lined with odd markings. After examining the markings you realize that they're similar to the markings in Vergil's book.

In the center of the compartment is a thick, rectangular object covered in a dingy, once white, cloth.

Carefully, you remove the object and unwrap it. You smile to yourself when you discover it to be a very old, thick book. Opening it to a random page, your thoughts are confirmed when the same odd symbols from Vergil's book greets you.

So this is the book that killed the old man. Come to think of it, it would make sense for him to keep it so hidden if it’s the only one of its kind.

Wrapping the cloth back around it, you make your way back to the study. When you walk in, you discover Vergil to be at the other side of the room.

Did he really go through almost every book in the room while you were gone? You give him points for fast reading each cover of the countless books.

With Vergil's previous threat in mind, you hesitantly walk up behind him. "Not to disturb you, but is this what you're looking for?"

Vergil turns and you hand him the cloth covered book. "I found it hidden in a bedroom. It was in a secret compartment in a beat up dresser." You explain as Vergil unwraps and examines the book.

Vergil doesn't say a word as you watch him skim through the book before glancing at you. His pale blue eyes swirl with emotions hidden from you, however you are able to identify a hint of surprise as well as something else. Approval? Happiness? Whatever it is, you much rather see it in his eyes than the coldness that fills them when he's angry or annoyed.

"Let's go." Vergil rewards the book and heads out of the house. Silently, you follow him out the front doors and into the yard where piles of ash litter it; adding even more so to the horror movie feel.

Above you, dark, thick clouds are starting to form and you pray the storm will hold off until you and Vergil are out of its range. Motorcycles don't exactly have much rain protection.

As the two of you leave the creepy yard, not even bothering to close the front gate, you sit on the motorcycle behind Vergil, preparing for the long ride back.

Just as the engine roars to life it is muffled by an even louder rumble coming from the black, angry sky. 

The rain doesn't start off as a sprinkle, no that would be to convenient for you. When it rains, it pours buckets. By the time you've pulled away from the side of the road you are almost completely soaked.

It takes about a half hour for you both to make it out of the stinging rains range, however at the high speeds you're going with your body completely drenched, you feel like you’re about to freeze.

It's a painful type of cold. Like standing outside in snow in bare feet, and to make matters worse, it doesn't look like Vergil has any plans to stop until he reaches his destination. A destination you can only hope will be warm and dry.


	15. The Price To Pay

Fate  
Chapter 15: The Price To Pay

_"It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge." -Frederich Nietzsche_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Much to your relief, Vergil pulls the motorcycle into driveway. You're too cold to be thankful to be back at Vergil's house. Your body shivers uncontrollably and your lips match Vergil's coat. It's not a simple cold, no, it's cold all the way to your bones. The type of cold that's hard to get rid of. 

Without a word or acknowledgement, you head into the house. You stop in the living room only long enough to grab your bag before you disappear into the bathroom, locking the door behind you.

Stripping out of your cold, damp, clothes you turn the shower on, making sure that the water is nice and warm. As the warm water washes over you, you can feel its heat sink into you and you’re happy to find that your lips are back to their normal color and you're no longer shivering.

Once you're clean and warm, you turn the water off and step out of the shower. You dry off before slipping into sweat pants and a tank top.

Leaving the bathroom and returning to the empty living room, you dump your bag on the floor next to the couch before collapsing onto your makeshift bed, completely exhausted from the long day.

You're unsure of how long it's been, but softly speaking, yet stern, voices pull you halfway from sleep; sleep that you have no memory of entering.

You don't move or open your eyes; you simply lay there, half asleep, listening. One of the two voices stands out to you the most. It's stern, fierce and has a sharp edge to it, yet it comforts you. It makes you feel safe, like a mothers embrace. 

As you continue to listen and your mind wakes up a little bit more, you realize that the voice you like belongs to Vergil of all people. What the hell were you thinking? There's nothing comforting or safe about him! Your own thoughts scare you slightly.

You REALLY must be out of it to think about the man that's not only a devil, but who has threatened your life almost daily. Half his threats aren't voiced, but are revealed to you in his glaring stare. If one of the voices is Vergil, then who is he talking to?

"This is what you require to locate the other seals correct?" Vergil's voice is strong, showing no weakness.

"Yes, with this finding the remaining seals should be an easy task."

"How long will it take to locate them?" Vergil questions.

"Patience boy, this language is not easy to translate. I'll contact you when I locate the next one."

That voice... You know you've heard it before...but where...? ...oh shit! You know that creepy voice! How the hell could you forget?! 

Only a man like 'him' could have a voice that creepy. Arkham. What is he doing here? You listen, stone still, as the room grows silent as minutes tick by.

"Why do you allow her to remain? I would figure that someone like you would have disposed of her long ago. Don't tell me the human has grown on you, son of Sparda." Arkham questions.

"She is none of your concern." Vergil states coldly.

"Perhaps you're more like your father than I thought; keeping that human girl around." Arkham continues.

You hear the, now familiar, sound of Vergil drawing his sword. "My reasons are my own. Do not think I share my father’s weakness for humans. They are nothing but pathetic, weak, insects." Vergil threatens. "You have what you need. Now take the book and leave. Contact me once you have the location of the next seal."

You listen as Arkham's soft, slow footsteps lead away. You hear the front door open close before you hear Vergil sheath Yamato. Did Vergil just defend you by insulting you?

Still silence devours the whole house. You don't need to look to know Vergil's eyes are on you; you can feel it.

A barely audible sigh leaves the fierce man’s lips and you hear his boots walk closer to you on the wooden floor. For a second, slight fear shoots through you. Does he know you're awake?

Much to your relief you feel a soft, warm weight fall over you. Slowly, you allow your eyes to open. You're met with the sight of Vergil kneeling next to the couch.

Neither of you say a word. You simply meet his sharp eyes with your sleepy ones. To your surprise, he places a cool hand on your forehead. A small frown forms on his lips.

It wasn't until now that you realize how cold you are; your body shivering slightly. You also discover a light blanket covering you. So that's what you felt him put over you.

"You have a fever." Vergil states as he removes his hand from your head.

"I wouldn't have this problem if someone didn't drive me around for hours in the rain." You smile lightly.

"Hmph." A bailey there smirk spreads on Vergil's lips. It would seem that ether having a fever has turned you into a smart mouth, or you’re starting to come out of your shell and are becoming more bold. Regardless, he would have to put up with it for now. "Sleep. Your body needs rest."

You nod, small smile still in your face, before allowing your tired eyes to close. You can hear Vergil walk to a far side of the room before the only, dim, light goes dark. His footsteps disappear down the hallway towards his room where you hear a door open and close before the peaceful silence returns to the house.

A sense of panic fills you, and you wake from your sleep. The dark house tells you it is still late at night. But why do you feel so scared all of a sudden? You don’t remember having a bad dream.

You sit up and look around the deaf-silent house. Your gaze stops suddenly, filled with terror, when they land on a set of glowing yellow eyes only feet away from the couch.

You open your mouth to scream, but with incredible speed, the eyes silently lunge at you as your vision goes black.

With a groan your eyes flutter open. Sitting up, you look around to find yourself in what appears to be a dark empty warehouse. 

Suddenly, a light flashes on and you realize you are surrounded by a ring of beasts. Dark brown/black fur covers them as they stand taller than a normal adult man on two clawed, dog-like feet. There golden eyes are locked on your form. Large clawed hands are at the ready to tear you apart at any moment. Their tails flick from side to side, impatiently.

So, these are werewolves.

"Tell me girl, what is your name?" You turn your attention to an older man who steps forth from the ring of beasts.

"Who are you first?" You question as you stand. Man you feel HORRIBLE. Your fever must be getting worse. You have to get back to Vergil's house and get some rest.

"I am the leader of this pack, Kodlak. You have been injected with a poison while you were passed out. It is a very complex, deadly poison that will work its way through your body and it will end your life in one week’s time."

Fear and disbelief floods through you. "Why? Why poison me? What do you have to gain?" You try to sound stern, attempting not to show them any weaknesses, lest they use it against you somehow. Right now you need to be strong and think over your words and courses of action carefully. 

Kodlak steps closer and holds out a picture for you to look at. Your eyes grow wide at what the photo holds. A young girl is holding out a brightly colored flower for whoever took the photo to take. That girl... It's the same girl who you met at the toy store. The same girl who died when the demons attacked you.

"I am we'll aware you know her. She is the youngest of my two children. My first born, my son, died long ago, leaving her as the only heir to lead this pack once I'm gone. Her name was Aela. However, because of you, she will never get the chance. Because of you, my little girl is dead."

"I understand the pain of losing someone you love, however you are pointing the finger at the wrong person. I didn't kill her, demons did. I tried to save her but-"

"Regardless," Kodlak cuts you short. "Those demons were after YOU. YOU led them to Aela and got her involved. You even said that you tried to save her, of which I thank you, however you failed and she is now dead. The blame is just as much yours as it is those demons. They paid the price with their lives, I saw to that personally. Now it is your turn. A life for a life, this is the price to pay."

You want to argue. To say that it's not your fault. But you know that you would be wrong. Just like Vergil, Kodlak is right. It was you who ventured outside that day against Vergil's orders, and because of that, Aela is gone.

"However," Kodlak adds. "I am a reasonable man; one has to be to lead a pack as wild as this one. Though the price is set at one life for another, I am willing to negotiate on whos life must end as payment. I will give you the antidote, the only one of its kind, if you sacrifice someone you love, just as I have lost the daughter I love."

You frown. "There is a problem with that sir. I've already lost everyone I love. My mother died when I was very young, I have no siblings or friends and my father was recently murdered." 

"I see you meant what you said when you told me that you know how it feels to lose someone." Kodlak says. "However there is one person you didn't mention. When those demons killed Aela I saw you in that lot. I was going to kill you myself once I killed those demons, however someone most....unexpected showed up and saved you. The elder son of Sparda, the half devil. What is he to you?"

"Vergil? I don't know why he did that. I've only known him for eight days. He's cold hearted, ruthless, threatening, deadly, and fierce."

"Which makes me all the more curious as to why he saved you. I know enough about him to know that he despises humans. The only thing he cares for is gaining his father’s power. But even you, yourself said you've known him for eight days. Clearly there is nothing special about you; you're just a normal human. Yet he's allowed you to be close to him for so long. It's odd."

"I don't know why he's let me tag along either. I don't know much of anything about him aside that he's half devil and his dad was some big devil named Sparda." Perhaps if you play dumb Kodlak will pity you and give you the antidote. He knows that you've lost a lot of loved ones as it is after all. That's it, play dumb. You don't know anything about Vergil nor do you care for him in the slightest. Maybe you can act like Vergil is even your enemy.

"Perhaps Vergil has grown a soft spot for humans like his father. He always was foolish to think that a weak half devil such as him could ever possess his father, the great devil Sparda's power, let alone surpass Sparda's might. He has his wretched mother's blood to thank for that. She deserved the death she received for thinking devils could live with humans. Vergil is nothing but a pathetic child who thinks he's the biggest fish in the pond just because of who his father was. He will never gain what he seeks. He will only find his own death." Kodlak spits.

You're not sure why, but something in you snaps. All the rage of hell boils in your eyes. You clench your teeth and your hands form tight fists at your sides. 

"How dare a stray dog like you talk about him like that! Vergil is anything but weak and could easily cut apart your little group of puppies! So what if he wants to be greater than his father?! Isn't that the point?! Kids are supposed to succeed their parents! You even planed that path for your own daughter! She was supposed to take over and lead your little dog park once you die correct?! So what's the big deal? It doesn't matter of he has human blood in him! He's a great man even if he can be harsh and cruel at times! It's probably from growing up with every demon, mutt and person telling him he's worthless that he acts the way he does! If you so much as utter his name again then I'll turn you into a fur coat myself!" You yell despite your voice cracking and hurting from your fever, made worse by the poison now in your blood.

"As I thought. You do care for him." Kodlak says softly after a moment.

"I don't!" You argue.

"Don't lie to your elder’s girl. I can easily see that you care for him far more than you're letting on. If you didn't then there would be no chance of you defending his honor like that knowing what type of man he is." Kodlak smirks.

Damn him! So it was a trap. He wanted you to get mad and defend Vergil. That snake. But you really don't care for Vergil THAT much. He did save you too many times to count and he does allow you to stay with him even though he clearly doesn't like other people. Even Arkham seems to wonder why Vergil keeps you around. Perhaps Vergil just tolerates you? No, it's different now. He tolerated you when you were staying at Arkham's house. Even Alice saw that much. But it's different now. If it was only tolerance then he would have left you at his house when he went looking for that ancient demon book. But he didn't. He took you with him. And when you found the book for him that look in his eyes, that look was revealing a little happiness, a little approval. 

Okay so you do care for Vergil a little more than you initially thought. And after thinking it over perhaps the same goes for Vergil himself. But even so it's not that much. A friend maybe? Is Vergil your friend? A frown spreads to your lips remembering the last time you asked him that question. He held Yamato at your throat and was about ready to kill you. 

You're just over thinking and Kodlak's words aren't helping. Vergil is not your friend; he's just a devil that's saved you for unknown reasons that are most likely just simple whims. 

"Now that the truth is revealed, we can talk. As I said, I'm not an unreasonable man. I'll give you the antidote to save your life in exchange for Vergil's life. However, I'm not such a fool as to think a mere human as you would stand a chance to kill him. Instead, lead him to the lot where my daughter's life was taken from her. There we shall wait. We shall take his life ourselves and give you the antidote. If you don't show up, then the poison will spread and without the antidote, you will die." Kodlak explains. "Now go, choose which life will pay the price."

Your vision blurs before going black as the world fades around you.


	16. Only Human

Fate  
Chapter 16: Only Human

_“But learn that to die is a debt we must all pay.” -Euripides_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Pain. Your while body throbs dully with pain as you wake from sleep. Opening your eyes, you find yourself on Vergil’s fancy couch. Slowly, your midnight kidnapping comes back to you. That’s right; you were poisoned by that group of werewolves. You have one week before it will claim your life. Well, either that or you lure Vergil to that parking lot where the werewolves will kill him on your behalf. 

Even with the poison you didn’t expect to feel this horrible this soon. Then again, you did have a bad fever. The house is quiet and still; the only light is dim, coming in from thick curtains blocking out every window. 

You jump when a figure standing against a nearby wall moves. “Your fever has grown worse.” You’re relieved to discover the figure to be Vergil and not a werewolf.

That’s right, your furry kidnapper was silent last night so you doubt even Vergil heard him. Which also means that Vergil doesn’t know about your abduction or that you have been poisoned. Should you tell him? If you do, would he even care? You doubt he would, but then again he has surprised you on that topic more than once. He took care of you the last time you had a deadly poison running through your veins. 

If you do tell him, what will he do? Let you die? Or would he confront the werewolves? You know that he would never sacrifice himself for someone as lowly as you, but he may fight the beasts for you in an attempt to get the antidote. After all, the werewolves never said you couldn’t tell Vergil about the whole ordeal. But what if they over power him? What if they really do kill him? His blood would be on your hands and the guilt would kill you emotionally for the rest of your life. But if he is able to defeat the beasts then both you and Vergil can live and continue on. 

You close your eyes, deciding to think it over before making a move. You have one week. One week to decide life or death. One thing is for sure. You won’t be able to get out of this without someone dyeing. The only question is: will it be you, Vergil or the werewolves who are only mourning over the death of a little girl? A little girl who’s blood is on your hands.

You must have dosed off thinking because the next thing you know, Vergil is waking you up while handing you a cup of hot soup. You sit up and gladly accept the hot liquid filled cup. As you sip on it, a smile spreads on your lips. You can’t picture Vergil cooking. The mental image of him cooking with a frilly apron on makes you giggle softly. A sting in your throat warns you that giggling is painful, so you stop. Great, a sore throat; what next? 

Growing up, you never liked being sick. Then again, who does? You remember your dad making you soup like this when you were home sick from school. He would bring it up to your room and let you eat in bed. He would also read to you a lot when you were sick. Having the TV on always made your headaches worse. You remember him reading all kinds of stories to you. About knights rescuing princesses’ from towers and saving them from fierce dragons. A few about assassins, ninja’s, vampires, fairies, pirates and werewolves. You had always though that all of those stories were nothing but…well, stories. Who would have thought that your dad would have read you a story about werewolves when you were sick, and now, the reason why you’re as sick as you are is because werewolves. Well, werewolves and an inconsiderate devil. Then again, Vergil is a lot more considerate than he lets on or wants others to believe. After all, he’s taken care of you so far. 

Vergil’s saved you from demons, Alice and Arkham. He’s, surprisingly, taken care of you when you were poisoned last time. He allows you to remain at his side, which in itself is its own mysterious miracle. After all, even his own brother, Dante seemed surprised and dumbfounded as to why Vergil allows you to stay with him. He’s clearly not a people person. Not with the way that he silently threatens every breathing thing with a cold glare. And yet here you are, in his house, sitting on his couch, eating a cup of soup he made for you because you’re sick. 

You bite your lip in thought. Why is he doing this? Why does he do all this stuff for you? If you were anyone else would he have killed you or let that lion demon kill you the night your dad was killed? With the way he treats and acts around people, you have a strong feeling he would. If someone else was you that night, would he have allowed them the same privileges he’s giving to you? 

Your eyes shift over to Vergil’s form; his back to you as he gazes out the living room window, unmoving. Your thoughts move to what Kodlak had said. 

"Which makes me all the more curious as to why he saved you. I know enough about him to know that he despises humans. The only thing he cares for is gaining his father’s power. But even you, yourself said you've known him for eight days. Clearly there is nothing special about you; you're just a normal human. Yet he's allowed you to be close to him for so long. It's odd."

"Perhaps Vergil has grown a soft spot for humans like his father.” 

Is gaining his father’s power truly all Vergil cares about? Does gaining his father’s power have something to do with what he and Arkham are up to? Something to do with those ‘seals’? But if that’s true then why are you here? Why is Vergil allowing you to be here? Even Kodlak had said you’re just a normal human. And it’s not like Vergil was looking for you or anything. If he wanted you for some evil plan or something then he could have easily kidnaped you the night you first met him when he saved you from those thugs. 

Is it true perhaps? That Vergil really has grown a soft spot for humans? If that was true though, then he wouldn’t glare at them or act like they’re some sort of gross bug. What sets you apart from them? Why aren’t you a gross bug? 

Perhaps you could ask him? After all, what’s the worst he could do to you? Kill you? You’ll be dead in a week anyways. At least then you won’t have to figure out what to do about your whole poisoned situation. 

You continue to bite your lip as you stare absently in thought at Vergil’s blue coated back. It’s not fair to ask that question when you couldn’t answer the same. Maybe you should stop questioning why Vergil is letting you stay and should start to ask yourself why you stay. Sure, he’s done a lot for you but still, you’ve seen him kill. Sure, they were demons or monsters but you have little doubt that he has, or will, kill humans who get in his way. His dad was a powerful devil and his mom a human. If your assumption is correct, then he’s half devil, if not a full one. You’re not too sure on genetics and even Arkham had called him a devil so you know he has at least some devil blood in him.

He’s threatened you, held a sword at your throat, and has gotten you sick. He’s dragged you to creepy crypts and a house where an old man was killed by demons over a stupid, dusty book. He’s never told you to leave, aside from that one time when Arkham went crazy and killed Kalina. But even then, Vergil found you again. Why do you stay with a cold hearted murderous devil? In a way, he’s no different than the lion demon that killed your dad. 

Once again you find yourself asking that same question that has been plaguing your mind. What is Vergil to you?

 

The next morning, you wake up feeling like you were hit by a bus and ran over with a steam roller. Everything hurt. It hurt to talk, move, and breath, even opening your eyes hurts! You feel like your body is just drained of energy. You doubt you could move even if you wanted to. Weren’t you supposed to have a week before this poison killed you? It shouldn’t be….. Something crosses your mind that makes your blood run cold. Your fever. The stupid dogs didn’t know you had it when they injected the poison into you. What if the combo is doing more damage than they thought? That in mind and taking into consideration how fast your body has weakened you don’t even have a week. You could die any day, any hour. Hell, you could die tomorrow for all you know!

You struggle to open your heavy eyes. Looking around reveal the room and curtain covered windows to be dark. It’s ether in the middle of the night or so early morning that the sun hasn’t even come up yet. You just lay there, body throbbing in pain. That’s when you make your decision. This is how you can repay Vergil for all he’s done for you. For saving and watching out for you, even when you wouldn’t always listen to him. For Vergil, you will die. 

This means that you cannot tell him what happened. If he finds out then there’s at least a small chance that he’ll try to go after those werewolves and get the antidote. Not only would his life be in danger but if he goes, then you’ll have just been a burden to him again. No, you will not tell him. Besides, for all he knows, you’re just really sick and will have died by a fever. 

Slowly, your heavy eyes close, unable to keep them open any longer. You allow your mind to drift into numbing darkness, well aware that you may never wake. Before you lose consciousness, you allow your thoughts to drift. You think about the friends you protected by leaving behind. About your mom’s gentle smiling face before the thugs killed her. About your dad’s happy laugh when you went on vacation together and had gotten lost for three hours. About Kalina and how kind she was to a complete stranger. But most of all, you think about Vergil and that despite everything cold about his nature and personality, he allowed you, a plain normal human, to see him go against his devilish nature.


	17. Rude Awakening

Fate  
Chapter 17: Rude Awakening

_“For me, my awakening came when I was kidnapped.” -Patty Hearst_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You open your eyes suddenly when a searing heat consumes your body. A heat so intense, you feel as if you’re on fire. You look around and discover nothing but flat, dry, cracked barren land for as far as the eye can see. Above you, a large sun shines down strangely, making the already scorching land even hotter. There is no life in this place. The only thing you can see is a cave in the far off distance. 

Desperate to get out if such intense heat, you make your way over to it, each step scorching your bare feet. Your breathing is coming out heavy as you seemingly gasp for air but are only granted the hot, dry air that hurts your lungs, making them throb. One thing runs through your mind over and over. You HAVE to get to that cave. It’s almost like if you make it to that cave, then everything will be okay. 

Perhaps it’s a bit cooler in there and can provide you some shelter from the blazing red sun above you. You want so badly to just give up. To just stop and rest your weak body; the heat sapping all of your strength. You give in and stop to rest for a second as you try to regain your breath. 

A loud crumbling sound behind you gains your attention. When you turn to investigate you discover, much to your horror, the source of the sound. Behind you the dry, cracked earth is falling as if it was one giant, bottomless sinkhole. As it grows larger and larger and closer and closer to you, you spot creatures emerging from its black depths. Creatures that you recognize as demons. Their sharp fangs glisten in the bright hot light emitting from the sun. Some are horridly disfigured, others looking animalistic. 

As the hole and demons grow larger and closer, you turn your gaze back to the cave. Something ignited within you like a fire. Every part of your being is telling you, commanding you, demanding that you make it to that cave. You take a deep breath of the dry air, which dries out your scratchy throat even more so, before you make a run for it. 

Even with the demons closing in, even with your weak body pleading with you to stop running, you ignore them and continue on. Your feet feeling as if you’re walking in a frying pan, your skin feeling as if it’s blistering from the heat, which has seemed to grow even hotter as you continue to run. You’re mind and eyes on one thing, and one thing alone. That- ever growing closer- cave. 

You can hear the demons growl and attempt to snap at your heels as you finally approach the cave. You let out a cry of pain when you feel hands grab your upper arms; claws digging into your flesh. The hand quickly releases you when you cry out, however you lose your balance and fall forward before you reach the cave. You close your eyes to accept your fate when a loud, bone chilling rawer echoes across the blistering land. 

A large shadow flies past you, so fast you cannot even make it out. Accompanied with the shadow is a cold breeze which seems to chill the surrounding area into a winterish environment. You hear flesh being torn from bone and muscles as the demons cry out in agony. When their cries are finally silent, you gain enough courage to turn around. 

Your eyes grow wide and your breath catches in your throat at the site before you. Standing majestically victorious, towering over the corpses of the countless demons is a very large, elegant, pure snow white dragon. His crystal blue eyes stare into your orbs. Just by the way he stands you can tell the tremendous pride he has for himself. 

You don’t break the intense stare down between you two. As fierce as the dragon is, and despite how quickly it was to kill the demons that invaded its territory, the look in its pale blue eyes mesmerizes and surprises you. Despite how deadly its eyes were after it killed the demons, his eyes are now softer as he gazes at you protectively. 

Though you can’t explain it, something in you is telling you that he won’t hurt you. He may scare you at times, after all it’s his nature as a dragon, but he will never intentionally hurt you. It’s like one of the child’s stories your dad would read to you; about a dragon guarding its treasure. The look in the proud dragon’s eyes before you makes one thing clear. You are its treasure. 

You watch with a thousand questions running through your head as the powerful creature lowers its head before you and opens its mouth. A strong freezing gust rushes forth from the dragon’s throat and hits you dead on making you fall onto your back. It’s so cold, you find yourself shivering and your eyes sight goes black. 

You continue to feel the cold envelop your body, but it becomes wet. Like a freezing rain. You attempt to get away from the cold rain, but something strong holds you’re firmly in place. You can’t even feel anything solid under you, let alone ground. 

You continue to struggle and manage to open your eyes, but the sight before you isn’t one that you expected. You find that your clothing and you are completely soaking wet from cold water raining down. As your body wakes up more, you realize that someone is holding you, which is why you can’t feel any ground. You turn your head to the side and are met with a black vest. Moving your gaze up slowly you see the two very muscular bare arms that are under your knees and upper back, holding you. 

Something shines against the black vest and gains your attention. It’s an amulet. You gaze absently at the crimson upside-down tear drop shaped jewel surrounded by gold. You know this amulet. You’ve seen it before. It belongs to Vergil. Slowly, the gears in your aching head turn. You look up to the face of whoever is holding you and discover that you were correct. 

His face is absent of all emotion and his snow white hair has fallen down, framing his face much like his brothers. His eyes are closes, but you know that he’s not asleep. More like he’s deeply thinking about something. You can’t help but to wonder what he’s so in thought about. It intrigues you. You know he won’t tell you and his expression gives nothing away. 

“Vergil?” Your voice comes out painfully and scratchy. As soon as the strangled sound of his name leaves you his eyes dart open and he gazes down at you. 

“You’ve regained consciousness.” He states. You look at him, slightly confused at the while situation. As if he knows your questions he continues. “You were unconscious when I woke and your fever had become exponentially higher. I was able to find medication to help bring it down.” 

“Why are you showering me down with ice water in the bathroom then?” 

“If I had not, you would be dead. Would you rather I have left you be to die on my couch?” 

It seems that yet again Vergil has saved you; at least for now. You’re still going to die by the poison and there’s nothing he can do to save you from that fate. However it seems he was able to bring your fever down a little. You’re at least able to move a little bit now. 

Vergil steps out of the shower, you still secured tightly in his arms. He carries you out of the bathroom and down the hallway into his bed room, which is thankfully is dim because your headache is back with full force. He sets you down on a small couch you didn’t notice the first time you were in his room. Next to the couch, you spot your bag. 

“I’ll leave you to change. Inform me when you are finished.” Vergil says before leaving his room and gently closing the door behind him. 

You start to work your soaked pajamas off, happy to be free of the cold, wet material. You open your bag and pull out another set of soft, very comfortable pajamas and start to dress. As you dress, you look around. The dresser on the other side of the large room, close to the bed, is void of anything on top of it aside from Vergil’s brown gloves. Next to the door on a coat rack rests his elegant, blue leather coat. His tall brown boots resting on the floor next to the coat rack. 

Everything about Vergil’s room is simple, clean and organized. If there isn’t a reason to have something, it’s not there; much like the rest of his house. The smell of the room is the same as the remainder of the house, only stronger smelling, not that you mind. Leather, the typical smell of male and a hint of vanilla; this is the smell you recognize as Vergil. 

You finish dressing and stand up to put your wet clothes in the bathroom to dry. Well, you try to stand only to discover that you simply cannot. Changing completely drained you of all the energy you had. 

“Vergil, I’m done but I can’t move.” You say as loudly as your cracked voice is able, which is only slightly louder than normal speaking voice. By the way your words sound, you’ll be stuck to a barely audible whisper until the poison claims you. You only hope that Vergil heard you. 

The bedroom door opens to reveal Vergil dressed in a different black vest. Instead of his usual leather one, which got soaked from the shower, this one appears to be made of simple cotton with a small upturned collar. His black leather pants, which also were drenched from the shower, are replaced with black jeans. You have to admit, it’s kind of odd to see him out of his normal clothing choice and in something more causal and normal. 

Making his way over to you, Vergil gently picks you up. As he starts to walk you close your eyes and inhale his scent; the aroma that you’ve come to love strong due to his very close proximity. You open your eyes, surprised, when he sets you down on a soft surface. There’s no way you could have made it into the living room that fast, even if you were only half paying attention. 

As Vergil walks away, you realize that you’re on his bed. Last this you were on his bed he put stitches in your leg then kicked you out to sleep on the couch. Is he really letting you sleep here? A smile forms on your lips as you watch him pick up your wet clothes form the polished wooden floor. 

You watch Vergil make his way to the door before he pauses. “Call me,” He starts, his back is to you but he turns his head slightly. Vergil is never one to hesitate nor would you say he does. To hesitate is to show weakness. However in this moment he seems to for a split second. It’s such a slight pause however that you wonder if it even happened at all or if your mind is just playing tricks on you. “If you need me.” 

You can’t help but to smile at him. “Thank you.” You manage to whisper. 

With that you watch as Vergil leaves, shutting the door behind him. For any normal person, saying what Vergil said would just be good manners. When someone is sick, you generally help them out and take care of them. Vergil’s words were more than that though. They went deeper than him just saying them because you’re sick. Over the period of time you’ve spent with him, you learned that Vergil is not that simple. 

If you were on the other side of the word and called out to him would he come find you? You would doubt it given his uncaring personality; however you have learned that if Vergil said something he meant it. You place a hand over your heart when it beats slightly faster. That’s odd. Perhaps it’s the poison’s doing? You realize that you still have that smile on your face and can’t help but to wonder why. Why are you sitting here smiling like an idiot? 

Your smile fades as those two ever pestering questions reenter your mind. What are you to Vergil and why do you stay by his side?


	18. Uninvited Guest

Fate  
Chapter 18: Uninvited Guest

_"The people that actually try to stay in your life are the only ones you really need" -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“If you don’t want her to die then I suggest you stop trying to kill me and listen.” 

“You have three minutes. Remain here a moment longer and I’ll see to it that you leave lifeless.” 

Despite the fact that you’re in complete agony due to the intense sharp pain the poison is causing your body, you continue to listen to the commotion coming from down the hall in the living room area. Only minutes ago Vergil, who had been lightly sleeping on the small couch in the bedroom, had awoken. He seemed concerned and annoyed. After checking on you to see if your fever improved or declined he disappeared out the bedroom door with his sword in hand. A few seconds later various crashes and loud thumps could be heard between muffled voices. 

However, now all is quiet, aside from unfamiliar footfalls that draw closer and closer to where you rest, unable to even open your eyes, in the bedroom. You can tell simply from the fact that you can hear them so clearly that the footsteps don’t belong to Vergil. Vergil’s steps are always silent; always soundless. That is unless he relaxes enough to allow his footfalls to be heard. But even then they are soft and quiet yet quick and proud. Whoever is approaching where you’re dying body rests is not Vergil. 

The sound of the bedroom door opening enters your ears as the footsteps draw closer and closer until they stop next to where you rest on Vergil’s bed. You can feel eyes scan your body before a soft hand lightly touches your forehead. The unfamiliar presence sighs lowly revealing it to be male. 

“Shit….” The unknown man murmurs. 

“Explain.” Vergil’s voice is cold and heartless towards the man. It reminds you of the day you first met him. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

_"W-wait!" You stand up on shaky knees. The man stops and turns to face you; his expression is cold, stony and indifferent. His eyes are filled with annoyance and anger. "Um, I wanted to thank you…" Your nerves are bundling up the more his cold ice blue eyes bare into yours._

_"If you assume I disposed of those weak fools for your sake, you are strongly mistaken. They simply stood between me and my goal so I disposed of them." His voice is like a winters rain drowning you._

_"Even if that is the case, I still want to thank you. Please, May I know your name?"_

_"The likes of you do not deserve to know such information and unless you want to end up like those thugs, then I strongly suggest that you leave me." The man turns to continue on his way, only stopping to run a hand through his hair and slick it back._

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

You had almost forgotten how ice cold and heartless he treated you way back then. You were so beneath him in his eyes that he didn’t even think you worthy of knowing something as simple as his name. And even once he allowed you that information and you started to follow him there were no interactions between you two aside from him ordering and you following his orders. You’ve only been with him for little over a week and yet during that time so much has happened that you didn’t even realize that Vergil doesn’t treat you as coldly as he used to. 

It happened so slowly and at such a small degree that you didn’t even notice. You can hold actual conversations with him now. He doesn’t threaten you as much as he used to; or perhaps it’s more that his threats have become less serious and more of a means to make you think that he’s still just as cold towards you as he used to be. Vergil also answers more of your questions now unlike before when he would ignore them or just threaten you. Actually, he has a tendency to answer them at times before you even ask, as if he knows what you’re going to say. 

When exactly did things change between you two in this short amount of time? Was it when he found out that both your parents are now dead? He did reveal that his own mother was dead that night. Was it the last time you were poisoned? When you disobeyed him and demons chased you and Aela and he had to save you? When you woke up that night there were a lot of medical items lying around and Vergil was sleeping next to you. In fact, that was the first time you had seen him sleep at all. Sleeping leave anyone vulnerable so for Vergil to allow himself to fall asleep next to you actually says a lot. He even gave you that bracelet to help protect you from demons. It’s strange. You know that the relationship between the two of you has changed, but you can’t pin point exactly when it did. It just sort of happened. Voices murmuring brings you out of your thoughts. That’s right, there’s some man next to you talking to Vergil. You had forgotten. 

“….No doubt the old mut wants revenge.” The man says. 

“You have said what you wanted. Now leave.” Vergil’s voice holds such authority that for a second, even though it’s not directed towards you, it frightens you. You listen as the unfamiliar footsteps fade and the bedroom door softly shuts before the room is drowned in silence. For a moment you wonder if Vergil had also left, however when you suddenly feel the bed dip as he sits on its edge next to you and you are greeted by the scent of leather, man and vanilla, you know that he’s still here. For the longest time everything goes still. You can feel his eyes on you, yet he sits unmoving, stone still. If you were able to move then you would have jumped from surprise when he finally spoke. 

“Open your eyes girl.” Vergil’s voice holds such authority that despite how weak you are your body obeys him and without you realizing it, you discover your eyes adjusting to the slight, dim light as they open on command. 

Your thoughts were correct and you find Vergil sitting next to you on the edge of the bed dressed in his normal clothing and looking into your eyes with his emotionless, unreadable pale blue orbs. His expression gives nothing away and you find yourself wondering what he’s thinking right now. Does he pity you since your fate is now revealed to him? 

Something chances ever so slightly in his eyes and you realize that he’s waiting for something. Is he planning on staying here until life leaves you? You don’t think you can hold out much longer against this harsh poison. If you die now then you can see your parents again. You won’t have to feel pain or fear anymore. You can be eternally happy with them. You won’t be a burden to Vergil or get in his way anymore. He can go about his business and achieve whatever his goal is and not have to worry about you. Then again it’s not like he worries about you now…. But….if he doesn’t worry about you then why is he still here? Why did he save you all those times? And why would he give you the demon killing bracelet? 

Then it hits you; one of the answers that have pledged your mind as of late. Finally realizing this, you don’t want to die. You can’t die now, not when you just answered one of your questions! But….to continue to stay by Vergil’s side…to ask that is beyond selfish. After everything he did for you, how can you ask something so incredibly selfish of him? Despite how badly you want to stay next to Vergil, no matter where that road may lead you, you cannot ask him that. He has his own life, his own plans and ambitions. If you’re with him you’ll only hold him back, be a burden, a nuisance. You can’t be selfish, so you will accept your death and part from Vergil. 

A soft warm, comforting, voice calls to you. You know this voice. 

“Mom?” 

“It’s okay to be selfish sometimes.” Your mother’s voice says reassuring. 

“But…..if I stay with him then….” You can feel tears stream down your face. “What if something bad happens because of me?” 

“If something bad happens then be there to make it right. In the short time you’ve known this man you have grown and learned so much. During your time with him bad things have happened because of you correct?” 

“Yeah…..” Your heart sinks remembering that it’s your fault that Aela is dead as well as all the times Vergil has had to save you. 

“With each bad experience you’ve learned and grew stronger.” 

“……You’re right…” You were so busy worrying about causing trouble for Vergil that you hadn’t realized what you had accomplished. You have faced demons and survived many times, sometimes you even fought them. Most people would have died by them or would have gone mental and yet you know of and accept their existence and decided to continue on living. You were even told that Vergil is part devil and knowing that doesn’t bother you in the least. If two weeks ago someone told you that demons existed then you would have thought them insane. 

“Despite all the bad things that have happened to you, you chose to continue on. Why stop now?” Your mother smiles warmly. “Besides, you just figured out the answer to your question right?” 

Tears continue to stream down your face as you smile weakly at your mother and your eyes close. You can feel a warm hand wipe away your tears. When you open your eyes again you discover the hand belonging to Vergil. It’s really okay? You can really be selfish this once? 

“V-Vergil,” Your voice is a soft whisper, one that even you can barely hear. Vergil just continues to gaze into your eyes with his usual neutral face. “Help me.” 

Without a word, as soon as those two words left your lips Vergil stands and heads to the bedroom door, grabbing his sword Yamato as he heads out. Is that what he was waiting for? Not your death but for you to ask him for help? All the other times he simply saved you. You even protested his help when he dragged you away from the parking lot when Aela died. So why did he want you to ask for his help this time? 

Perhaps it wasn’t simply that he wanted you to ask him for help, but more that he let you choose. Vergil let you decide if you wanted to die or live. But….if he let you freely choose then does that mean you’re not being selfish asking for him to save you? It is really okay for you to stay by his side, even if only for a little longer? That knowledge calms and comforts you. You’re happy. 

A little while ago, you didn’t know why you stay with Vergil. It’s not like he’s holding you prisoner and with the bracelet you can have your life back and not fear demons. Vergil is a coldhearted, emotionless, deadly, devil. So why stay with him? You wanted that question answered so badly and yet the actual answer is so simple you don’t know why you didn’t think of it sooner. You don’t stay with him because he’s strong and can protect you from demons, nor is it because you feel you owe him for saving you so many times. No, you remain by his side because the simple truth is, you want to.


	19. Hell To Pay

Fate   
Chapter 19: Hell To Pay

_“The man who is angered by nothing cares about nothing.” –Edward Abbey_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Yamato gripped tightly in his hand, Vergil silently leaves the house and walks with a quick pace down the dark nighttime city streets. He’s fully aware that the uninvited guest is still in the house, but Vergil allows it knowing the man will not harm you. After all, if ‘he’ didn’t show up like he did then Vergil would never have discovered you have such a vicious poison in your veins. He also told Vergil that a group of werewolves had taken you in the middle of the night and want revenge against you for the death of that child. Vergil now knows of the deal they offered you; that they told you they would give you the antidote and save you from your fate tainted by the poison in exchange for betraying him and luring him to a specific location. 

However, what eludes Vergil is why you did not. He can easily cut down a pack of stray dogs and you wouldn’t have suffered from the poison as you have. So why did you not tell him? Why did you not ask him to help you sooner? Your only hope now is if Vergil can locate and obtain the antidote and return to you before you grow too weak to continue on in life. 

In the distance Vergil spots thick, dark clouds moving in. A storm is approaching, one that will no doubt mirror the rage hidden inside him. That is the one emotion filling Vergil right now, rage. He’s enraged that a lowly dog managed to sneak into his house, his domain. Not only did he sneak in, but he took you right off of Vergil’s couch then proceeded to threaten and poison you while you were ill and then return you like it was child’s play. And to top it all off, you didn’t even tell him what had occurred nor did you ask for his assistance until you were barely clinging to life. You weren’t even the one to tell him of your kidnapping! No, he had to find out from his foolish brother who was mistaken for Vergil by one of the dogs. You’re just lucky Dante had decided to track Vergil down and pass on what he got the dog to bark. Vergil clenches his teeth and his pace quickens eager to show those worthless mutts why you do not mess with a son of Sparda. 

The sound of the bedroom door opening enters your ears, followed by the same unfamiliar footsteps. You know them to belong to the unknown man that was speaking with Vergil earlier. If the unknown man is still in the house then he is no threat. Vergil wouldn’t go through the trouble of helping you if this man was just going to kill you. If he was even a small threat then Vergil would have disposed of him already. The footsteps come to a stop next to the bed before silence once again silence fills the room. You can feel eyes on you as you lay motionless on the bed, unable to move. 

“I don’t get you.” The man finally speaks, breaking the long silence. “Last time we met you said that you chose to hang around V. I don’t know what’s more surprising. Someone willingly wanting to be around him, or Verg letting ya.” 

This man….could he be…? 

“And now Verg goes off to avenge you. What’d you do to him? Drug him or something? Threaten him with an embarrassing photo?” 

A weak laugh manages to escape your throat and you force your eyes to open to reveal Dante standing before you. Last time you met Dante, Vergil’s twin, he had saved you by killing Alice. You want to ask him so many things, but all you can manage is to gaze at him weakly. Why did he come here anyways? To warn Vergil about your situation? 

Dante plops down on the edge of the bed, letting a sigh leave him before he turns his gaze back to you. “You’re one strange babe.” 

You manage to smile weakly at Dante. The sound of raindrops hitting the roof is the only sound for the longest time. They start off quiet, but the rain turns into a harsh downpour. Your thoughts focus on the man that’s saved your life to many times to count. Right now Vergil is somewhere out in this storm and he’s out there for you. You know that you’ve stayed with Vergil this long because you want to. You’ve come to accept that simple truth. However, you are still curious as to why Vergil allows you to stay. Why would a person that’s as ruthless and coldhearted as him, a person that’s supposed to be the son of a devil, fight for your life as he is now? Why not let you die? The question didn’t bother you that much until now. 

As the rain harshly hits him Vergil’s pace quickens. Despite the new information Dante had provided, the location where you were to meet the wolf pack should you have betrayed him is still unknown to him. Vergil makes a mental list of all the possible places the pack could be lying in wait. One by one he rules them out. Vergil’s boots come to an immediate halt as he freezes in place. Of course. They have to be there. It makes the most sense given the circumstances. Without a moment’s hesitation Vergil sharply turns right and down an alleyway. 

Vergil’s face is unreadable as he walks into the fenced in parking lot; the same parking lot where that child was killed. Coming to a halt in the dead center of the lot, Vergil doesn’t so much as shift his weight when the werewolf pack emerges from the dark shadows; all but one in beast form. 

“I must say, I am surprised to see you without your human friend.” Kodlak, the only one not in beast form speaks. “Don’t tell me she couldn’t make it. Too bad. However she didn’t fail completely it seems. Even in death she still guided you here to us, Vergil, son of Sparda.” 

Vergil says nothing as he glares dangerously into Kodlak’s silver eyes. Placing a firm hand on Yamato’s handle, the blue devil unsheathes his sword. Appearing as little more than a blue flash, Vergil strikes the mutt closest to his right; moving so fast that one would think he teleported. With a single powerful slash, Vergil beheads the beast before his eyes catch movement next to him. He turns just in time to see one of the other werewolves raise a strong claw high into the air, about to bring it down upon the devil. 

Before the beast can land its powerful attack on him, Vergil smashed the hilt of Yamato into the dog’s stomach causing it to step back as the air is knocked from its lungs. Yamato’s blade cuts deep into the werewolf’s flesh twice drawing profuse amounts of blood from the creature before it falls to into the dirt lifeless. Two werewolves on either side of Vergil lunge towards him in a rage only fueled by their fallen comrades. However, the rage inside them is no match for the fury of Vergil’s devil. Using his sheath to stun one of the beasts, Vergil wields Yamato and easily cuts down the second. Gracefully spinning on his feet, Vergil easily slices Yamato though the first dog’s torso cutting onto vital organs and tissues before the creature can even think to dodge. 

As the fourth werewolf falls before him, Vergil sheaths his sword and steps towards Kodlak who hasn’t moved from his spot at the far end of the parking lot. As he draws closer and closer to his prey Vergil’s deadly eyes bare into Kodlak’s like a lion would to a rabbit before eating it. Sensing sudden movement behind him, Vergil twists around just in time to draw Yamato to block a powerful clawed hand. If he had been even half a second later in responding he’d be dead. The werewolf surprises Vergil by grabbing the blade of his sword with its free hand. Vergil tries to pull Yamato free from the creatures grasp however, despite the blade cutting into its hand and the large amount of blood gushing from it, the mutt doesn’t loosen its grip. Instead the creature seemingly laughs at the blue devil when Vergil tries to step forward to push the beast back. 

“What are you laughing at?” Vergil’s voice is as cold as death itself. Not a second later the werewolf releases a surprised cry of agony as multiple of Vergil’s blue magic spiral swords dig into the creatures back. The dog bits back its pain and as it turns its attention back to Vergil the last thing it sees is the end of Yamato’s sheath before it’s jammed though its eye socket and pierces the mutt’s brain killing it. The pack now dead, Vergil once again sheaths Yamato as he continues his approach onto Kodlak. 

Kodlak draws a sword from his side and rushes at Vergil. The son of Sparda reacts instantly drawing Yamato from its sheath in a flash. The sound of metal hitting metal rings out throughout the parking lot as Vergil and Kodlak meet one another’s attack strike for strike in a fury. 

“Why go through all of this trouble to avenge one simple human girl?” Kodlak speaks as he continues his relentless attacks on Vergil. “Don’t tell me that the elder son of Sparda has gone soft. Then again it shouldn’t be that surprising. After all, like father like son.” 

Kodlak's words only fuel the hell fire rage growing deep within Vergil. With every clash of their swords, with every second that passes the blue devils pure, barely controlled anger grows. Thoughts of you lying dead on his bed flash though Vergil’s mind like a storm. 

“That girl was fated to die.” With Kodlak’s words something snaps deep inside Vergil. Like a dam suddenly releasing all the anger and hatred that has been growing inside him since his wolf hunt began. Fated to die? No. Your fate is your own to choose and you chose to live. You asked Vergil to save you and that’s what he’s going to do. The moment those words passed your lips you decided your fate. Vergil will not allow you to die. 

Kodlak steps back surprised when power suddenly courses though Vergil’s veins. A blue flash of light consumes him as his body is morphed. His skin turns black and like his clothing becomes leathery. His eyes glow brightly blue. Yamato’s sheath attaches itself to his arm, freeing his other hand. 

Kodlak looks upon Vergil’s new form in shock and fear knowing that he will not walk out of this lot alive. “How could a mire human girl awaken the devil in you?” Vergil moves, so much faster than before, lunging at the elder werewolf. Vergil’s black, clawed devil hand easily rips though Kodlak’s chest like a knife would butter. With an animalistic growl, Vergil tares the old man’s heart and connecting veins and tissue from his chest. 

Kodlak’s body falls to the ground as Vergil’s devil form recedes. Breathing heavily, Vergil collapses to a knee, overwhelmed by the new power that flows within him. Vergil’s attention is drawn to Kodlak’s corpse. After checking various pockets, Vergil discovers a small vile of liquid in a pocket on Kodlak’s coat. Grasping Yamato in one hand and the antidote in the other, Vergil wastes no time and starts back to the house hoping that he won’t arrive only to find you dead.


	20. Thank You

Fate   
Chapter 20: Thank You

_“Thank you for being there for me when no one else was, even if you left too.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

With a bored sigh you close the book you had been reading. Standing from the couch you shuffle over to one of the full bookcases in the living room and set the thick book back into its place. It’s been one week since that stormy night that almost claimed your life. You don’t remember much from that night. Only the words you had spoken to Vergil before he left. The pain the poison caused consumes most of your memory of that night. However, if you remember correctly then Vergil’s brother, Dante, was with you for a while after Vergil had left. He was there right? For all you know you hallucinated or dreamed that he was there. After that, nothing but darkness. That is until you woke up two days later to discover that you were still alive and that Vergil had killed the pack of werewolves. 

You turn and pull back the curtain halfway to look out one of the windows. The sunny day outside seems like a world of its own. A world without werewolves or demons; a world where you can no longer return to. Since you woke up things have changed. To be more precise, Vergil has changed. He’s quieter than before, if such a thing is possible. In fact he’s only spoken to you three times since you woke up and all three times were to tell you that he was leaving and that you were forbidden to leave the house until you’ve fully recovered. After you woke up he always seems to ether be gone or locked in his room. He won’t even so much as look at you since you woke up. Concern that you somehow angered him has flooded you for days. When you question him about it however he simply remains silent. Vergil’s ignoring you to the point where on a few occasions you wonder if you did die and now you’re just a ghost haunting his house that he can neither see nor hear. 

If this keeps up with no explanation then you may have to rethink your living arrangements. You want to stay with Vergil but his actions seem to be clear that he could care less if you stayed or not. As much as you don’t want to, perhaps it is time to leave his side. But where could you go? Your dad is dead and you’re considered a missing person and a suspect in his death no doubt. You could always simply return home? No, after what happened you don’t think you could ever step foot in that house again, especially by yourself. Sure you still have the demon killing bracelet, but even so you will never be able to see that house any differently than the night you came home to find your dad dead. You have no living relatives to speak of either so that’s out since you can’t really live with someone who doesn’t exist. You have no job or way to afford even a small apartment on your own. You pull out your phone from your pocket and take a deep breath as you punch in the numbers of someone you never thought you’d talk to again. 

“Hello? Is that really you?” Melody answers half in shock. 

“Hey Mel, yeah it’s me. Sorry about hanging up on you last time and not answering your texts or calls. I jus-“ 

“Damn right you better be sorry!” She cuts you off. “You scared us all to death! After the last time we talked I only got more worried so I told everyone else what you told me. We are all worried and scared that you wound up dead! We were searching for you and do you even know that there was a funeral service performed for you?! Where the hell are you? And don’t you dare lie or hang up or I swear-“ 

“Melody please calm down.” You plead. “I know I worried you and everyone else and I’m sorry for it. I truly am. But due to the circumstances there was no other option at the time. I can’t say anything other than I’m sorry.” 

Melody is silent for a few minutes. You can almost see her trying to calm herself and think rationally. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” You repeat surprised. 

“Yeah. You’re an adult and I know that you must have a good reason for doing what you are. Just know that I’m not happy with it.” 

“Thanks Mel.” You smile. “Like I said I did what I did due to the circumstances at the time. However those circumstances have changed now.” 

“So you can come back?” She questions hopefully. 

“I think so. But if I do then I need you to know that what I’ve been though is between me and….well what I’ve been through these two week…I can’t ever tell you…or anyone for that matter. I just need to know that you won’t ask about it.” 

“All I can promise is that I will try not to. But you do know that when you come back the police will ask you everything you don’t want to tell anyone right?” 

“Yeah, I know. I’ll just need a few days to lay low and get myself back together before they find out that I’m alive and found. Also, I can’t return home, for obvious reasons. That’s why I called. Think I can stay with you for a few days in secret? Just until I can figure myself out again. Please?” 

“You don’t even need to ask. There’s only one bedroom in my apartment but you can crash on the couch for as long as you need to.” 

“Thank you Melody.” You’re happy to discover that despite all you put her though worrying, that she’s still a loyal friend till the end. “Where I’m at right now is a bit of a ways away from your area. Do you know where the movie theater on Main Street is?” 

“Yeah it’s about a twenty minute drive from my place.” 

“Then I’ll meet you there in about an hour and half?” 

“I’ll be there.” You can hear her smile. 

“Thanks again Mel. See ya.” With a sad smile you end the call. Is this really the best thing to do? For the longest time you thought that you never could return to your old life. You had thought that your place in the world, at least for now, was with Vergil. He allowed you to tag along for this long and has saved you more times than you can count. He even let you choose if you wanted to live or die and went out of his way in a storm to kill a pack of vengeful werewolves and rushed back here to save you. So why is he acting like this now? Like you don’t even exist? You had wondered if perhaps it was because you choose to live instead of letting the poison kill you. But if that were the case then Vergil would have simply let you die instead of giving you the choice. Perhaps this is just Vergil’s way of saying that it’s time for you to go and if that’s the case then you have to respect the wishes of the man that saved your life. 

You shove you phone back in your pocket and close the curtain blocking out the bright sun outside. You walk over to your make shift bed on the couch you grab a T-shirt and shorts from your bag and head into the bathroom. You turn the shower on and strip out of your clothes. Stepping under the lukewarm water a slight blush dusts your cheeks when you remember the time Vergil had held you in the shower in an attempt to bring your fever down. Although you both were clothed, the image of Vergil’s face when you had woken up is still burned in your mind forever. You remember how strong his arms were as he held you and drops of water danced across them. His hair had fallen flat against his face to resemble Dante’s. His crystal blue eyes were closed, not in tiredness or annoyance, but in patience in waiting for your fever to go down. And you swear that once those calm blue orbs of his did open they held a hidden hint of relief. The memory serves for only making your face pink and your doubts about leaving to increase. 

You try to chase your doubts about leaving from your mind. Vergil wouldn’t act this way all of a sudden unless there was a good reason and the only reason that you can possibly think of is that he no longer wants you around. After all you would do the same in his shoes…..right? He just saved your life for the umpteenth time and now wants you to leave. But how could anyone kick someone out of their house after anyone saved someone from death? Here I saved your life now get out of my house? 

Your mind wanders to when you were first brought here after Arkham killed Kalina. Vergil had brought you here after Dante had saved you from Alice. The wound on your leg reopened from running for your life. Vergil had dumped you on his bed. At the time he had frightened you and you wanted nothing more than to get away from him. He had stitched up your leg and gave you the demon killing bracelet to protect you from demons. 

With the memory of your arrival at this house you glance down to the wound on your leg. You have to stop and stare for a moment and run your fingers along the wound to be sure your eyes aren’t tricking you. Not only is the wound little more than a scar, but the stitches are gone. Had Vergil taken them out? But when? The only time he could have was when you were still unconscious recovering from the poison. A frown forms on your lips. Why would he be nice and do something like that and then treat you like this? Something seems off about this whole thing, but with Vergil playing mute you can’t get any of the answers you need. What can you do? 

After scrubbing yourself clean, you turn of the water and work on drying yourself off. Once changed you gather your belongings and secure them in your bag. You write a quick note for Vergil whenever he returns and leave it on the coffee table by the couch. Walking to the door you take a deep breath and turn around to take a final look at the place that’s been your home for little over a week. Your eyes stare at the note you left and the two words you wrote on it before grabbing the door handle and walk out. 

_‘Thank you’_


	21. Missing

Fate  
Chapter 21: Missing

_“Just because you miss someone, doesn’t mean you need them back in your life. Missing is just a part of moving on.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

As you sit on one of the few benches outside of the movie theater you stare blankly at the cars going by, watching but not really seeing. Your mind is too preoccupied with thoughts of Vergil to focus on anything else. Absent mindedly you rub your fingers along the beads of the demon killing bracelet, not even realizing it. Are you truly doing the right thing? You feel like you are given the circumstances and Vergil’s attitude. This is what you wanted since the beginning right? To be able to go back to your normal life or at least what’s left of it. 

You can go back to school; no doubt you have a lot of catching up to do. You’ll have to look into getting a job in order to move out of Melody’s eventually and get a place of your own. A job and school shouldn’t be overly hard, people manage it all the time but you’ll be on your own for it. Sure you’ll have your friends, but you will no longer have the support of the little family you had. The police will also harass you for a long time with questions on where you’ve been and what happened at your house. You can’t tell them that you’ve been with a strange man that kills demons left and right. Even if you did then they would think you were crazy and lock you up for it which means that you’ll have to think of a convincing cover story. Not many people get away with lying to the police, but all you can do is hope that you are a rare exception to that poor luck. 

A gust of wind causes a shiver to run across your skin. This is defiantly not the weather to be wearing shorts in, but seeing as how they’re the only clean pants you have left, you don’t have much of a choice on that matter. You curl your legs up to your chest in hopes of capturing some warmth. A frown descends upon your lips and you close your eyes in an attempt to block out any further thoughts of the cold hearted man that had somehow become someone you considered a friend, even if he didn’t, or ever would, see you as such in return. 

A loud sound echoes into your mind and your heart jumps fearing to open your eyes lest you discover a demon sitting before you ready to devour you. If it got past the demon killing bracelet then it must be a powerful demon, and with no Vergil around to save your sorry butt once again your death is assured. You can picture the look of horror on Melody’s face when she shows up expecting to be greeted by your happy face but instead will only find your unrecognizable bloody remains. 

The sound calls out once again only this time you recognize it as your name. Confusion fills you. Well that’s a first. A demon has never called out your name before attempting to rip you limb for limb. You allow your eyes to open and realize that the sound wasn’t a demon at all but a car horn honking; Melody’s car horn to be more precise. A large smile is plastered on Melody’s face and you attempt to return it only to find that it doesn’t come naturally and has to be forced. Why can’t you genuinely smile at the sight of your happy friend that you thought you would never see again? You should be able to. You should be happy to get back the life you were forced to leave behind. But….then why do you feel so empty? 

Standing up, you hurry to the warmth of Melody’s warm car, relived to be out of the cold. “Thanks for coming to get me Mel. Sorry if it was a little sudden.” 

“Don’t you dare apologize. I’ve been waiting for that phone call for two weeks.” She says as she pulls away from the curb and into the flow of traffic. “Why are you dressed like that? Aren’t you cold?” 

“Freezing.” You force a small smile. “But they’re the only clean clothes I have. All my other cloths are either dirty or ripped.” All the demon attacks that happened to you in the past two weeks haven’t been very kind to your clothes. If they’re not covered in dirt then they have claw marks or snags from them catching on various things while running for your life. 

“Sounds like I have a lot of laundry to do when we get back to my place. I might even have some cloths that would fit you so you won’t freeze to death while your other clothes are washing. If you’re hungry then I can make dinner a little early. I was also able to get your couch bed set up before I left and made a space for you to keep your things. My cat might bug you wanting to cuddle at night, but you can always push him off if he annoys you too much.” 

“Dinner sounds nice.” Despite your gratitude your voice is quieter than normal. Like it’s revealing the emptiness that’s started to grow inside you since you decided to leave. 

Your tone of voice goes unnoticed by Melody. She probably just thinks that it’s because you’re tired. The rest of the ride back to her apartment Melody continues to talk about various things. How all your other friends are doing. What she’s been up to while you were gone aside from worrying herself into a mess. The newest updates about the world as well as what you missed at school. Your mind however blocks her out after about five minutes. You simply stare blankly out the window at the world passing you by as you are taken farther and farther away from the place where the cold hearted man with the surprisingly gentle touch resides. 

You miss him. You allow yourself to admit that much. You’ve been gone for only an hour and half and yet you already miss him. You miss the sharpness in his pale blue eyes. How he can threaten just by giving someone a simple glance. You miss his emotionless face and can’t help but to wonder how it would feel if you were able to touch it. You miss his smell of leather, man and a hint of vanilla. You miss how he would walk so proud with his head held high yet his footsteps never made a sound despite his quick pace. But most of all, you miss his simple company. 

Vergil never was much for conversation and it seemed like every other word out of his mouth was an insult or death threat. Being in the same room with him was intimidating and scary; afraid that you might do something to anger or annoy him that would make your life end. But after a while it changed; being near him turned from nervous fear into a comfort. You were able to eventually relax around him more and his threats became less…well threatening. Even if he were to threaten your life with a glare of death on his face you somehow began to know that he wouldn’t follow through with his promise of your demise. You don’t know how you knew, you just did. 

Though all your thoughts, you wonder of he returned home yet. If he saw the note you left with your final words to him scrawled across it. You wonder what his thoughts are of your leaving. Is he happy to have his life back to the way it was before? You can only imagine it as such. Even Dante said that Vergil isn’t a people person and was surprised that he allowed you to stay with him, let alone for as long as you did. However, somewhere in the deep recesses of your mind lays a thought that you do your best to ignore. A thought that you know is to foolish to even ponder upon. But despite all your attempts to banish it, it remains steadily in the dark forgotten corner of your mind. Does Vergil miss you to? 

Your train of thought is broken when the car hops slightly as it goes over the bump into the parking lot of Melody’s apartment building. “Here we are, home sweet home.” Melody says cheerfully, smile still ever present on her face. She turns the key and the engine dies as you look upon your new home; at least for now. 

“I’m only staying with you until I can get back on my feet and am able to afford a place of my own.” You remind her. 

“Yeah, yeah.” She brushes you off. “Come on, let’s get you settled in.” 

You follow her into the building and up the stairs to the fourth floor. Halfway down the hallway, she stops at one of the doors and pulls out a key. Unlocking the door, she opens is and steps inside motioning for you to follow. You do so, closing the door behind you. It’s been a while since you were at her place last. It’s more cluttered compared to Vergil’s house. Dirty dishes are piled up in the kitchen sink. The counters are filled with various items and food crumbs. Only a small section of the kitchen table is cleared enough for someone to enjoy a meal. 

Magazines and school books are spilling over from a low table in the living room and onto the floor. The couch has a pillow and numerous blankets tossed onto it for your use tonight. Next to the couch is a cabinet that looks like it was cleaned out in a hurry. The floor is dirty and in need of vacuuming. You never noticed how dirty it was before. A month ago this would be a normal environment for you; you wouldn’t even think twice about it or notice these things before. This is indeed a lot different than Vergil’s clean and cleared Victorian style home. 

“I’m going to start on dinner. You can put your things in that cabinet by the couch.” Melody skips into the kitchen. 

You walk over to the couch and toss your bag down onto it before plopping down yourself. You take a deep breath and let it leave your lips as a heavy sigh. Before this was your normal life, your normal world. One free of demons, death, and running for your life; but now it’s like the life filled with all of that is your normal life and sitting here on Melody’s couch not having to worry about demons or surviving has become foreign. Somewhere along the lines your normal life switched from the demon free world to the one filled with them. 

You allow your body to relax back on the couch as yet another sigh leaves your lips. You fight with your mind, trying desperately not to think of the past two weeks or the fearsome man that has forever changed your look on the world. In the end, your mind wins and you find yourself pulling something out of your pocket. As you stare at the keychain of the white angry plush cat your thoughts are once again pulled to the cold hearted half devil man reluctantly so.


	22. Moving On

Fate  
Chapter 22: Moving On

_“You meet someone. You two get close. It’s all great for a while. Then someone stops trying. Talk less. Awkward conversations. The drifting. No communication whatsoever. Memories start to fade. Then that person you know becomes that person you knew. That’s how it goes, right? Sad isn’t it?” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Your eyes take in the large barren land around you. There are no plants, or trees or even a mountain to break your gaze out onto the horizon. Only the dry, cracked earth for as far as the eye can see. Above you is a blazing sun, but despite its size and closeness you aren’t hot in this desert like place. You’ve been here before. Last time you were burning up from the scorching heat, which is currently absent. You walk forward not knowing where you’re going if you’re going anywhere at all. 

It starts off as a speck, but grows larger the longer you walk steadily towards it. Eventually you are able to make out the speck as a cave in the distance. You remember this cave. You ran to it desperately your last time here. You only hope that this time the ground doesn’t collapse behind you with hordes of demons spewing out from its depths trying desperately to get to you. 

Much to your relief, there is no such collapse and you reach the cave both unharmed and without struggle. The darkness the cave holds is almost maddening. Like a soulless abyss ready to greedily swallow anything that dares venture to close. Not having much of an option you take a deep breath of the dry air and step forwards into the darkness. 

You blindly continue to venture forwards. Not even the light from outside dares to enter into the cave and soon the entrance disappears behind you as walk. After walking for what feels like forever, you spot a large ring of light ahead. The light shines in from a bright full moon above and though holes in the cave. Suddenly a loud echoing growl pierces the silence of the gentle light. You duck behind a large rock when a large beastly figure leaves the shadows and enters the ring of moonlight. 

The figure in question turns out to be a large, elegant white dragon. You know this dragon. It’s the same one from last time you were in this place. But…something’s different about it now. It growls out almost in pain as it shakes its head from side to side. Opening its mouth, a large burst of freezing wind and ice shoots forth and onto the cave wall, covering the rock in a thick layer of sparkling ice. When it turns its head to let out another rawer you notice that one on its enchanting crystal blue eyes has turned a blood red color. As you gaze closer at the magnificent creature you realize that its scales keep fading back and forth between white and black as if the two colors are fighting each other. 

As the scales fade to mostly black the dragon yet again opens its powerful jaws only instead of clear, sparkling ice shooting out like before, the ice is jet black and spikes out more in an attempt to reach out to pierce anyone unlucky enough to be to close. The dragon bashes its horned head against the cave wall hard enough to cause a few rocks to fall from the ceiling as it cries out once more, scales turning mostly white. You can only stand there behind your rock watching in amazement and horror at the scene before you. 

It’s as if it’s two dragons battling each other in one body. The one that saved you from the pit of demons, the white one with calming blue eyes and breath a beautiful yet deadly force of clear ice. And the black dragon with haunting red eyes that holds the breath of the dark, blood thirsty ice. Two beings but one body. No, it’s different than that. Both are the same dragon. Everything has a dark side. That little voice in your head that tells you to take the cookie from the cookie jar when you’re not supposed to. But what if you could no longer control or cage your dark side? What if you HAD to do what that little voice in your head tells you despite your own wishes? That is the battle before you. Not two beings struggling for one body, but two different sides of one being struggling for dominance and control. 

As the black dragon unleashes its icy wrath upon other parts of the cave instead of hitting and sticking to the wall, the black ice shifts and forms into two smaller dragons. Your eyes widen with horror as the two black ice dragons run at you. You attempt to run, only to run into a dead-end. The smaller dragons let out high pitches screeches. One lunges towards you and you attempt to dodge. Your dodge only half works and you let out a cry of pain when its icy claws rip though the flesh on your side. 

Your cry of pain does not go unnoticed as it echoes off the stone walls. Despite its pain and fierce battle, the large, graceful dragon swings its head your direction; its two bright blue eyes seemingly pierces into your soul itself. As the dragon’s scales shift to pure white it lets out such a fierce growl that you swear you can feel the walls of the cave shake. At the sound the two corrupted ice dragons turn in horror to the larger one before they slowly vanish away into nothing. 

You can only stand there, unsure of what to do. After a few unmoving minutes, the great dragon slowly walks over to you and lowers its head to your level. Its eyes hold relief and joy. You don’t even notice the smile on your lips as you hesitantly raise your hand and place it softly on the dragon’s snout and discover that it’s surprisingly soft. 

Your eyes open to reveal the dingy ceiling above your head. With a stretch, you sit up from your makeshift bed on Melody’s couch. Standing up from the couch and glance at the clock on the far wall; you only meant to lay down for a bit, you never intended to take a two hour nap. A yawn passes your lips as you look at the full boxes before you as well as the ones that have yet to be filled. Why does moving have to be such a pain? 

“I was wondering if you were planning on sleeping all day.” Melody enters the living room with a soft smile. 

“Why didn’t you wake me?” 

“Cause we both know that you needed some sleep. Between your night shifts at the hospital and dealing with moving, among other things you’ve barely gotten any sleep.” Melody glances down at one of the boxes of junk you have yet to sort through to determine if there is anything in it worth packing up for the move or simply throw out to save you the hassle. 

“Exactly, I have too much to do to sit around and sleep all day.” You say as you start to go through one of the junk boxes, pulling out odds and ends. “Besides whenever I sleep I always have weird dreams.” 

“Dragons again?” She raises a brow as she sits on the floor next to you in order to help you go through your box of stuff. 

“It’s not dragons, it’s A dragon. And it’s always the same white one. I had a dream about it only once before I moved in here, but it seems like I have dreams about it every time I close my eyes since coming here.” Your hand touches something soft in the depths of the box and you pull it out. 

“I remember that. You had it when you came here.” 

You stare with mixed emotions down at the plush cat keychain that rests in your hands as it glares up at you angrily. It is covered in a thick coating of dust and some of the stitches are loose or missing all together. The once white fabric has turned greyish due to the amount of dirt on it. You remember this small, simple object well. You had gotten it five years ago when you met that man. Even though it has been five years since you last saw that cold hearted, ruthless man, you remember every detail of him like you only saw him yesterday. He had changed your life in so many ways and saves it in so many others. It was he that opened your eyes to one of the truths of the world. Demons are real. However, those days happened long ago and since then you have moved on. 

A few weeks after you left Vergil’s house a giant tower shot out in the middle of the neighboring city. From what you heard half the city was destroyed and monsters were attacking the people that dwelled there. Knowing that the so called ‘monsters’ could only be demons you sought out Vergil in an attempt to find answers. When you arrived at the remains of the city the tower had crumbled into ruins. You hadn’t found Vergil, but you did run into Dante. What Dante had told you, you will never forget. He confirmed your theory that demons were running amuck. The other two bits of information he had told you then both shocked and gave you nightmares for months. Vergil had summoned the tower, which was a portal to the demon world, with the help of Arkham. And that Vergil had died. All of that however, was five years ago. Now, Vergil is just another part of your past. 

“It’s so old and filthy, might as well throw it out.” Melody goes to take it from you to do you the favor of throwing it out. 

Before she is able you stand up keeping the pathetic toy out of her reach. “Actually I think I’m going to keep it.” Continuing to stare at the small object as you make your way into the kitchen and stop at the sink. You do your best to pick off as much of the dust as you can before turning the water on and drowning the glaring cat in soap. Scrubbing fiercely turning the soap dark grey. Much to your joy, when you rinse it off you discover that your work hadn’t been for nothing. The fabric is dust and dirt free and is once again white. Not as white as when you had bought it, but white none the less. 

“I’m going to take the boxes I finished packing earlier over to Aaron’s so give us some more space in here.” You announce as you dry the keychain off and shove it in your pocket. 

“I’m about to head to work so I can give you a ride there since you don’t have a car yet and carrying the boxes there would be a pain.” 

“Great, I’ll load them up while you get ready and we can meet at the car.” You happily accept her offer. 

“It should be unlocked.” She informs you before disappearing into her room to change into her work uniform. 

Moving back to the living room/your bedroom for the past five years you grab two of the lighter boxes and head out to Melody’s car. Three trips later, you have six boxes packed into Melody’s car. Melody meets you in the car and starts the engine before driving off to Aaron’s.


	23. Ghost

Fate   
Chapter 23: Ghost

_“The people you love become ghosts inside of you and like this you keep them alive.” –Unknown._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

With a relieved sigh, you plop the box down on the wooden floors. You wipe the sweat from your face as Aaron walks in with a box in his arms. “Is that the last one?” You ask. 

“Yeah, Melody told me to tell you that she might be off a little early tonight and that she’ll stop at the store on the way home to pick up dinner for the two of you.” Aaron says with a smile as he places his box down next to yours. “How much more is there?” 

“Not much. I only have a few more boxes to go though and most of what’s in them will be thrown out.” 

“Then will come the fun part.” A teasing grin spreads on his lips when you give him a questioning looks. “Unpacking.” 

“Ug, don’t remind me.” You groan. “Oh, shit. I forgot to feed Melody’s cat this morning. I better get back.” 

“Want me to give you a drive? It is a long ways to walk.” Aaron offers, his soft brown eyes seemingly warm your soul. 

“I can walk, it’s nice outside and the fresh air will do me some good after being inside packing the past few days.” You smile. 

“Text me when you get home.” Aaron leans down to you. His lips are warm and soft as they press against your own. You can feel your face turn pink before he pulls away. 

“I will.” You run a hand though his short dark brown hair, messing it up purposely as you head out the door. You walk down the hall and down the stairs to the first floor before walking out the door and onto the streets. You hum softly to yourself as you make your way back to Melody’s. In about two or three days you’ll be fully moved in with Aaron. It will be nice to sleep in an actual bed instead of a couch. When was the last time you were even in a normal bed? Oh, right. Five years ago. It was that night wasn’t it? That stormy night when you had been poisoned by those werewolves. Vergil had let you rest in his bed for a few days after he got the antidote from the werewolves. The last time he had saved you. The last time you had spoken to him. The last time you saw him. 

A small sadness makes itself known somewhere deep inside you. A frown descends upon your lips and your fingers rub against the bracelet that hasn’t left your wrist in five years; not since he had given it to you. It’s very rare for you to think of Vergil now a days. Most of your time is spent ether working at the hospital at night, with Melody during the day, and with Aaron in the evening. And the rest of your free time is taken by planning the big events in your life, such as this more for example. 

Thinking of work, you forgot your cell phone in your locker before you came home last night. Mind made up, you decide to swing by the hospital. It’s on the way back to Melody’s and you should have your phone with you incase Melody, Aaron or even your work needs to get a hold of you; especially since there is no house phone at the apartment you share with Melody. 

The walk to the hospital is a peaceful one. The sky is clear, air warm, and birds are singing happily. Walking into the hospital, you pass the day workers and head to the locker room. Your lock makes a click as you open it. Inside, waiting innocently for you, sits your cell phone. A quick glance at its screen tells you that you have no new messages or missed calls. Relieved to have your phone back, you close your locker, making sure it’s locked, and head out of the hospital. 

As you walk through the hospital doors and into the warm air, you feel…off. The nervous feeling only increases as you head towards the gates. What’s up? Why are you feeling like this all of a sudden? You were fine going in and a few minutes ago in the locker room. You take a glance around you. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. There are some visitors going in and a few patents sitting outside for a little bit to enjoy the fresh air. Could it be demons? You glance down at your bracelet. It’s not glowing like it dose when demons are nearby and besides, you haven’t had a single demon attack since you started living with Melody five years ago. 

And then you spot it. By a tree in one of the courtyards stands a man dressed in a black suit. His face is hidden to you, covered by bandages. Despite the distance, there is no mistake. He is staring right at you, unwavering. You stumble to the side suddenly when someone bumps into you. 

“I’m so sorry.” The woman apologizes. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m okay.” You offer a smile. 

“Take care then.” She returns the smile before continuing on her way. You turn to look back at the man only to discover that he’s all but vanished without a trace. You glance around with no sign of him. There isn’t even a sign that anyone else saw him. Brushing off the incident, you head back to Melody’s. 

You’re such an idiot. Such an idiotic, foolish, idiotic, forgetful, idiotic, scatterbrain, idiotic, idiot. A loud groan leaves you and you feel like banging your head against the locked door of your and Melody’s apartment. How could you have forgotten to take your key with you when you left for Aaron’s? Melody is at work and won’t be done for a few hours and your landlady is away visiting her dad who had suddenly gotten sick two days ago. You really only have two options. One, wait for Melody to get off work and come home; or two, wait back at Aaron’s until Melody gets off work. 

You really don’t want to trouble Aaron or walk all the way back to his house. So, how to pass the time waiting till Melody gets off work? Destination made up, you leave the apartment building and head to a nearby park. On your way to the park, you spot a familiar figure leaving a video game store. 

“Hey Ishon, it’s been awhile.” You smile happy to see your old friend. 

“Oh, hey.” He looks up from his newly acquired game to look at you surprised. “What are you up to?” 

Your smile turns into a nervous, embarrassed one. “Waiting for Melody to get off work. I locked myself out….again.” 

“Really?” He raises a brow. “You just need to velcro everything to your cloths.” 

“It’s not a bad idea.” You admit. “So you got a new game?” 

“Yeah, heard it’s supposed to be pretty good. Wanna come over and play it while you wait for Melody to get off work?” 

“It’s not like I have anything else better to do.” You accept before you and Ishon start the walk to his place. 

“You moved in with Aaron yet?” Ishon questions. 

“Almost!” You say excitedly. “I only have a few more boxes to go though and hull over before it will be official. Of which I would be going through right now if I could get into the apartment.” 

“Ah, gotcha.” 

The walk with Ishon is a pleasant one. It’s been a while since you were able to see him, let alone hang out with him due to your busy schedule. Perhaps being locked out of your apartment isn’t a bad thing after all. If you had remembered your keys then you wouldn’t have run into him. You talk about work, friends, and life in general. 

As you both continue on your way, you happen to glance up the street a ways and your heart almost stops. Standing at the corner a block up is the same man you saw at the hospital. Like before simply stands there and stares at you. You don’t even register your feet coming to a halt. 

“What’s wrong?” Ishon asks concerned. 

“That man over there is watching us.” Your voice is shaky and you don’t dare take your eyes off the man in fear of him vanishing once more with no other witness that he was even there at all aside from you. And like that, before your very eyes, he’s gone, like he wasn’t even there to start with. 

“What man?” Ishon questions following your gaze to the street corner. 

“Sorry, I just thought I saw someone I knew.” You lie. You must be going crazy. Perhaps it’s all the stress from planning the move and the big upcoming event. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired. I think I’ll head back. Melody said she might get off early today anyways so she could be back home by now for all I know. It was nice to see you.” You say before turning around, leaving Ishon standing there wondering what had suddenly gotten into you. 

You never had a stalker before and you really don’t want to start now. What are you talking about? There’s no way that was the same guy. You slow your fast walk down to a normal speed. Something sweet will help calm you down. There’s a bakery around here somewhere right? You thought you passed one talking to Ishon. 

A few blocks down the street, you spot your destination only to have a frown form on your lips as you approach only to find it’s closed. That’s odd; it’s in the middle of the day. Why did they decide to close? You brush it off and decide to go to a different bakery. The next closest one is a bit of a ways away and you’re not sure of its exact location, only general area. 

Determined now to have a sweet treat, you set off on your small adventure to the next closest bakery. After getting lost twice, somehow turning yourself around once and passing two stray cats, bakery number two finally comes into view. You decide to make this a quick trip. This part of town isn’t exactly the most welcoming. Empty buildings scatter the streets and you don’t even want to know what’s down some of the dark alleys. 

You enter the bakery looking over your shoulder. After buying a simple doughnut, you leave the store to head home to wait for Melody at a safer location. As you walk you hold your sweet dough wheel up to take a bite. Your feet freeze in place and eyes widen as the doughnut falls to the dirty cement sidewalk below your feet. Your attention is fully focused on the ring of beads around your wrist as they glow a bright red. 

Demons? Here? Now? Why after all this time?


	24. Double Edged Sword

Fate  
Chapter 24: Double Edged Sword

_“A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer’s hand.” –Lucius Annaeus Seneca_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Panicked, you look around you. You can hear your heart hammer in your chest. Why would demons be here? Why now of all times? This has to be a coincidence. It’s been five years since the last time you encountered a demon, let alone saw one. As you look around the mostly empty streets you don’t notice anything out of the ordinary; for this shady part of the city at least. 

And then, like something out of a horror movie, you see them. One stands, closing in, up the street ahead of you. The second, third and fourth, stare at you hungrily from within the black depths of the alleyways. The fifth and sixth, ready themselves to pounce down upon you from the rooftops above. Though it has been five years since your last demon encounter, your stomach still turns looking at their twisted figures. 

What do you do? Where do you go? Think stupid think. Okay, you can’t just stand here and make it easy for them to kill you. Besides, regardless of the demons it’s still the middle of the day on a main road; a road that anybody could walk down at any minute and be put in danger alongside you; which means you have to find some place secluded and out of view so not just anyone passing by will see these things. The only problem is that you don’t know this area of the city that great; you even had to hunt for the bakery. But you can’t just run blindly either. Knowing your luck you would only end up trapping yourself. 

As for actually fighting and killing them you’ll have to just hope that the five years of not being used hasn’t made the demon killing bracelet lose its power. You also might be able to find something to use as a weapon down one of the alleys; that’s one plus about this side of the city. 

Your eyes dart around searching for the best way out of the area. Your eyes spot a demon free area down the road and your feet start to move. Your legs carry you swiftly as you run, hearing the growling of the demons behind you. You can hear their claws scratch against the concrete and their breath coming out in pants. 

Your eyes widen with horror and you can feel your heart all but stop at the sight before you a short ways down the street. A mother walks with her child happily heading your direction, heading to their death. No, not again. You refuse to allow another innocent to die because of you. Aela’s death still haunts your consciousness to this day. 

Biting your lip, you make a sharp turn down a dark alleyway knowing full well that you just entered the demons lair. The chances of you dying down one of these filthy, dark alley’s has just become an almost certainty, however in doing so you have lured the demons away from the mother and child and have guaranteed their lives. 

As you run down the narrow, litter filled alley your eyes dart back and forth looking for anything you can use as a decent weapon against your demonic pursuers. A demon jumps down in front of you suddenly, causing your feet to slide to a halt. Your bracelet’s red glow intensifies before suddenly five red glowing swords shoot out from it and into the demon. The monster lets out a pained cry as life leaves it. Instead of shattering like last time, the red glowing swords remain in the demon’s body as it slowly turns into ash. 

Weren’t they orange before? You quickly shrug it off when they suddenly move and shoot past you, barely missing you. Before you can even turn around to look at where they went multiple screeches of agony echo down the narrow walls of the alleyway. You turn around wide-eyed at the sight before you. Each of the swords is firmly impaled to the hilt into the skulls of five of the demons that are hunting you. The demons slump over before they fall onto the cracked cement ground dead. 

Do the swords seem more…aggressive than last time or is it just your foggy memory? Well, at least the demons are dead. That went more smoothly then you thought it would. A deep sigh of relief passes your lips and your body relaxes. With the demons dead it’s safe for you to head back to your shared apartment. Melody should be back home by now getting dinner going; which is a welcomed thought since your doughnut is now ant food. 

As you head out of the alley, you only manage a few steps before you freeze and spin around. All but three of the red swords have disappeared; the three remaining struggle for a moment to break free of the remains of the demons. Not a second after they are free, they fly towards you. You only have a blink of an eye to duck before the red swords whoosh above your head and impale into the wall behind you. 

Your mind is blank, dumbstruck at what had just happened. You don’t have time to think before the swords attempt to free themselves to strike at you again. Before they are able to break free, you dart down the alley, making a sharp turn into a slightly wider alley. 

Halfway down you can hear the crumbling sound of bricks as the swords break free. You don’t look behind you; you don’t have time to and doing so would bring about your death. Hearing them whoosh closer and closer you take another sharp turn just as they shoot by. 

You look up only to discover that you are no longer in the maze of alleyways. An old, brick school, closed for summer, stands tall and proud before you like a castle. Not wanting to give the swords a chance to turn around and kill you, you quickly make your way to the doors of the abandoned building. 

Why are the swords after you? Isn’t the bracelet supposed to protect you, not try to kill you? Did it get damaged over the five years of not being used or is it simply defective, like a glitch? Perhaps it has to do with Vergil’s death? He never told you where he had gotten it and all you know about it is that it’s supposed to kill lesser demons. Wait…what if you just take it off? Maybe if you do remove it then the swords will disappear or just go after the bracelet itself. 

Not having anything to lose, you grip the bracelet and slide it off your wrist…at least you try to. You do your best not to panic when the beaded bracelet doesn’t budge from your wrist, but in fact seems to get tighter. Getting a better grip on the thing, you pull with all of your strength. However, the more you pull and struggle to get it off, the more painfully tight it becomes around your wrist. 

You almost can’t believe what your eyes are telling you is there. If it wasn’t for the intense pain it’s causing then you wouldn’t have believed it. The beads dig their way into your wrist and you watch as they disappear under your skin itself leaving a tattoo like imprint of the beads etched onto your flesh. What was that about not panicking? Yeah, so much for that; you’re about as calm as a Melody when she had found out you were ‘missing’ five years ago. 

All your attention is focused on your wrist that you don’t even notice that the swords have found you and are once again shooting towards you. A scream of pain leaves your lips when one of the swords pierces deep into your side. Blood gushes out from the wound and falls upon the broken concrete beneath you as pain engulfs your side like a burning fire. 

Your breath is coming out in gasps as you hold your hand tightly over your wound in an attempt to slow your blood loss. Your vision burrs and your surroundings start to sway back and forth. You barely register your body falling to the ground, rocks and broken glass digging into your skin. Everything seems to slowdown. The three red swords that were meant to protect you line themselves up a few yards away to end your life. 

Though your vision is blurred, you are able to make out the red flashes as the swords shoot towards you. You don’t blink or look away, no, if you are to die here then you will watch it come for you even if all you can make out are blobs of fuzzy color. Everything seems to slow down like someone hit the slow Mo switch. Like something out of the Matrix, the three red blobs slowly move towards you. 

A flash of black fills your vision and it takes you a moment to realize that it’s not you losing consciousness, rather that something has come between you and the swords. What that something is, you aren’t entirely sure. A groan of pain leaves you as you struggle to look up at the tall black figure before you only to realize it’s in the shape of a man. Despite your mind having the thinking capacity of pudding right now, it doesn’t escape you at just how fast this person moved especially with everything slowed down as much as it is. Although the swords are coming at you with the speed of a newborn kitten -the word around you matching that same speed- this person appeared in a blink of an eye like lightning striking. It makes you wonder and fear just how fast this black figure can move when the world isn’t gitched. 

Your vision grows even cloudier and you almost miss the sound of three metallic clings and then silence as everything around you goes mute. The black figure slowly turns to gaze upon your blood stained body at its feet. The last thing you remember is the sound of your name before darkness consumes you and you welcome unconsciousness, happy to be free from pain, even for a little while. Still, even in the depths of your dreamless state you can hear that voice echoing your name. It’s a calming sound; one that comforts you. Despite the amount of blood you’ve lost and the giant gash on your side you know that everything will be okay.


	25. Stranger Danger

Fate   
Chapter 25: Stranger Danger

_“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” –Albert Einstein_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The sound of a quiet beeping sound in a steady rhythm enters your ears. You allow your eyes to slowly open to reveal that you are laying in a bed in a small clean room. To your left is a row of windows and a chair next to your bed. Behind the chair is a screen that’s the source of the annoying beeping as it keeps track of your heart rate. An IV connected to your arm sends fluids into your body. 

The sound of a relieved sigh causes you to turn your attention to the door to the right. “Thank God.” Aaron says under his breath more to himself rather than to you. He quickly rushes over to your bed where he sits in the edge. 

“Hey sleepyhead.” He smiles. “How are you feeling?” 

“My side hurts but other than that I feel okay.” You sit up with Aaron’s help. “Where am I anyways?” 

“St. Mary Hospital.” Aaron’s brows come together as his tone becomes one of concern. “What happened? Do you remember? The doctor said that some guy brought you here then left without a word. You lost a lot of blood and had to go through several transfusions after the doctor patched up the gash in your side.” 

You stare at the wall past Aaron, not really seeing but simply staring blankly as you attempt to recall what happened. You remember leaving the bakery and then demons showed up. The bracelet’s swords had killed the demons but then turned on you. One sliced your side up and you thought you were going to die. The out of nowhere that figure appeared. Had that man saved you? If so then perhaps it’s not a far stretch to say that he was the one that had brought you here. 

“I went to a bakery in the rougher side of the city and on my way back home a group of…thugs came out of nowhere and attacked me.” You lie. There is no way that you are going to tell him, or anyone, the truth. Who would believe you if you said that you were ambushed by a horde of demons? They would think that you hit your head and went crazy. What worries you more is that Aaron might actually believe you. That thought scares you far more than him thinking you’ve lost your marbles. 

The world he knows and the world of demons that you know are two separate worlds. And once you crossover from being blissfully ignorant to knowing the truth you can never go back and it’s something that can ruin your life. If it wasn’t for Vergil being with you when you crossed over to the world filled with demons then you would no doubt be locked up in an insane asylum, truly have gone insane. You have learned to accept the fact that demons and other monsters exist and stalk the shadows, but you would wish that truth upon no one. 

“It’s not the same thugs that killed your dad and where after you all those years ago were they?” Aaron’s voice is full of concern, understandably so. 

“You could say that.” Aaron opens his mouth to say something but shuts it when the doctor walks in. “How are you?” The doctor questions. “I’m Doctor Kain.” 

“Fine aside from my side stinging a little.” You answer. 

“Given the depth of your injury that is to be expected.” Dr. Kain walks over to the side of your bed and lifts your shirt enough to get a good look at the wound. “We did our best but there will be a scar and you’ll have to come back in a few weeks to get your stitches removed.” 

“Thank you Doctor.” Aaron smiles, happy to know that you’ll be okay. 

A puzzled look spreads across Dr. Kain’s face as he examines your injury. “This is odd.” 

“What’s wrong?” You frown and look down at your side curiously. 

“It’s not really ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’ but just….well…odd. It’s healing unusually fast. You only came out of surgery a few hours ago and already the wound has healed and shrunk by about an inch. I’ve never seen anyone heal this quickly before. Do you normally heal this fast?” His gaze moves from your injured side to gaze at your face. 

“Not like this.” You frown perplexed at this development. 

“Well, in any case it’s best to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get worse or open up. You’re fine to go home in a few hours, until then get some rest.” Dr. Kain shakes your hand before leaving you and Aaron alone in the room. 

“Are you hungry? I can run down to the cafeteria and grab you some food.” Aaron offers. 

You smile warmly at him. “That sounds amazing right now. I haven’t eaten since this morning.” 

“Food it is then.” He smiles in return, his soft brown eyes soften as he gazes at you. 

“Thank you Aaron.” 

He leans forward and places a gentle kiss on your forehead before standing. “For you Malady, anything.” He bows dramatically with a grin on his lips before heading out on his task of bringing food back. 

You close your eyes and enjoy the silence which is only broken by the heart monitor’s beeping. What are the chances you can throw that damn thing out the window and get away with it? That low? Too bad. You do your best to block out the sound of the annoying machine. Minute tick by as you sit contently in the calm quiet. After what seemed to be about fifteen minutes or so you hear someone enter the room. “Please tell me they actually had something edible down there.” You smile, keeping your eyes closed to enjoy the remnants of the peace. After a minute of quiet you open your eyes confused. “Aaron?” 

Your eyes widen with surprise. The man at the door is most defiantly NOT Aaron, however you’ve seen him before. Standing in the doorway is the same man you saw outside the hospital you work at and on the street corner with Ishon earlier. His face is still hidden from you by wrapped bandages which only reveal his cold eyes. Think positively, maybe he’s here to see someone else and got the room number wrong. That’s possible…right? 

He remains silent but walks over to you, his polished black dress shoes hitting the white tile floor at a quick pace. “Who are you?” You question as anxiously. The man doesn’t speak; instead he roughly removes the heart monomer from your finger. The machine lets out a screech signaling that it’s not getting a pulse. Before it can go off long enough to alert the nurses the man presses a few buttons and the annoying machine goes silent as it shuts down. 

“What are you doing?!” Panic starts to set into you when the unknown man grabs your arm. While his movements are fast, almost rushed, his touch is gentle and careful. You can feel the warmth of his skin though the bandages wrapped around his hands hiding them from view much like his face. You wince in pain when he removes the IV from your arm. 

Keeping his grip on your arm, he pulls you out of bed and to your feet. You grunt in pain and clutch your injured side which doesn’t go unnoticed by the intruder. Your bare feet tap along the polished floor tiles as the man heads out into the empty hallway, dragging you along with him. 

You dig your feet into the floor as best as you can and resist your kidnapper. “Let me go.” Either he doesn’t hear your pleas or he doesn’t care. “Let me go or I’ll scream and everyone will come running.” 

Your threat causes the man to suddenly stop however he doesn’t release your arm, nor does he even loosen his grip. “You’re not safe here.” He doesn’t turn, keeping his back to you. 

“The only thing I’m not safe from is you Mr. kidnapper. Now let me go or I swea-“ 

The sound of your name on his lips halts your threat and you halt your struggles. His voice…you hadn’t recognized it until he said your name. This is the same man that saved you from your own damn bracelet. At the time, all you could make out was a black figure, but you remember him saying your name right before you passed out. If he is the same man then you have a little more reason to trust him….right? After all he did save your life, although you give him creeper points for stalking you all day. 

You close your eyes and take a deep breath before reopening them. “Okay.” 

With that single word the man is once again taking you down the hall, though this time instead of dragging you, you allow him to lead you, not struggling or putting on a show that would make any passerby’s concerned. He leads you into an elevator and hits the button for the parking garage. The ride down is a tense silence. You glance up nervously at the tall man that stands next to you, his hand still gripping your arm just as tightly. You watch the floors pass by. 

One floor above the parking garage a ding is sounded and the doors slide open to let on a passenger. That passenger just happens to be Aaron with a tray of food. His eyes grow wide with surprise upon seeing you. Aaron’s so surprised to see you that the elevator doors almost close before could get on. Almost. 

“What are you doing out of bed? The doctor said that you needed to rest some more.” Concern fills Aaron’s voice as the elevator starts to move again heading to the garage. 

Your mind draws a blank at what to say to him. ‘Hey Aaron this guy over here maybe a kidnapper and was stalking me all day but it’s okay cause he’s the one that saved me. I’m going to let him take me to his car now. See you around dinner time?’ Yeah, Aaron would totally believe that. 

“I can’t explain it right now.” You start trying to find the right words to form some semblance of an explanation. You open your mouth to attempt to explain it better when the doors open with a ding and the man is dragging you out into the dim light of the garage. 

Aaron, dropping the food filled tray, runs after the two of you. “Wait! Where are you going? Who is this guy?” 

Aaron continues his panicked questioning as he follows you and Mr. bandage face to a fancy black car. “Please tell me what’s going on!” Aaron pleads. 

“Get in.” The man says commandingly to you as he nudges you towards the front passenger seat before heading around to the driver’s side. 

You open the door but pause, looking back at the man that loves you. “Aaron, I can’t explain it right now and I don’t expect you to understand but I have to go with this man right now. He’s the one that brought me to this hospital and saved me and I get the feeling that he’s trying to save me again. From what, I don’t know, but I do know that I have to go with him.” With that you slide into the clean black leather seat and put your seatbelt on; the man already seated and starting the car. 

You close your door with a thud and become confused when another thud echoes right after. Curiously, you glance behind you as much as you are able to without aggravating your injury and your eyes widen with surprise when you realize that Aaron is sitting behind you in the back seat. 

“If you say you have to go with this guy then I’ll trust you, but I won’t let you do this alone. Where ever you go, I’ll go.” Determination fills Aaron’s warm brown eyes and you know that his mind is made up. If Mr. bandage face is annoyed he doesn’t show it. Instead he hits the gas and drives out of the garage heading to an unknown destination without a single word.


	26. The Long Road

Fate   
Chapter 26: The Long Road

_“Live for the journey, not the destination.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The first two hours of the ride you spend looking out the window deep in thought. Wondering who is taking you where and why. Having Aaron with you is a great comfort. If this guy does turn out to be a serial killer then at least you won’t be alone. There’s a sense of safety in numbers and you wouldn’t be here with anyone other than Aaron. 

“So where are you taking us exactly?” Aaron asks breaking the silence. Much to his annoyance the man doesn’t answer nor does he even show signs that he’s listening to Aaron. “Fine then, can we at least get a name? I’m getting tired of referring to you as ‘that guy’.” After a few minutes an annoyed sigh comes from the back seat and Aaron gives up trying to get any information out of the mute driver. 

You bite your lip in thought. It’s bothering you as well. Not knowing who this man is or where he’s taking you. Why he was stalking you throughout the day, why he saved you and why he thought you were in danger at the hospital. Summoning up your courage you look over at the silent man and dare to break the silence once more in hopes of getting even the smallest of answer. 

“Please,” You start. “A name at the very least would be nice. You’re the one who took me from the hospital and are now driving away with us. At least give us something to call you.” 

Much to your surprise, the man glances at you, his hard eyes staring intensely into your own. “Please.” You plead. “I’m surrounded by so many unknowns right now it would be nice to have something to stand on.” 

Without a word the man turns his attention back to the road and a sigh of defeat leaves you pouting in the passenger seat. You frown out the window as you pass by cars on the busy expressway. 

“Gilver.” 

You jump at the sound of the man’s unexpected voice and both your and Aaron’s eyes dart over to the man almost not believing he spoke. “Gilver?” Aaron raises a skeptical brow not taking his eyes off the man. 

The man is clearly not going to repeat himself but thankful for the information you offer a small smile to the man before you turn to gaze back out the window and return to your thoughts. 

A few more hours tick by in silence and you realize that you’ve been rubbing the markings on your wrist left there by the damn bracelet. It doesn’t hurt anymore but the reminder of what happened still freaks you out. Will the swords try to kill you every time the bracelet activates now? How do you get the damn thing out of your arm? A better question, you suppose, is _can_ you get it out of your arm? 

Out of the corner of your eye you notice Gilver take a quick glance over at the markings on your wrist. His attention returns to the road so swiftly you half wonder if he actually looked over at you or if it was just your mind playing tricks on you from lack of food. Those damn demons. Couldn’t they have at least waited until you had finished your doughnut? Just thinking of the tray of food that Aaron had abandoned at the hospital is enough to make your stomach growl in disappointment. 

Despite the fact that your stomach feels like it’s eating itself, you suck it up. Gilver had said you were in danger and so is taking you to safety, or so you can only assume. If you were to beg to stop for food then that unknown danger you were in may very well catch back up to you. You’re not sure if demons are involved or not, but if they are then you will do everything in your power to act as a shield and guard Aaron form that horrible, nightmarish truth of the world. 

Knowing of the existence of demons has always made you feel tainted in a sort of way. To know a truth so dark and horrific; to have been a part of that world, even if it was for a few weeks five years ago, it’s like it’s a stain on your life. A stain that no matter how much you scrub, it seems you can never escape. The demon attack this morning is proof of that. Aaron deserves far better, yet you know you could never leave him. So, if trying to keep him from becoming tainted like you is that only thing you can do at this point, then so be it. As your mind rummages through thoughts of demons, Aaron, and who Gilver is, your eyes grow heavy and before you know it you have drifted off into sweet sleep. 

***SMACK ***

Your head colliding roughly with the window isn’t exactly the wakeup call you had been expecting. As your foggy mind very quickly wakes up and becomes aware you realize with horror that Gilver is speeding along city streets, weaving through traffic, running red lights and making turns so sharp your surprised that the car doesn’t flip over. 

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!” Aaron’s panicked voice shrieks from the back seat. 

“Gilver!?” You yell in horror as he speeds though an intersection barely missing an elderly couple that was driving in a van. 

“It is necessary.” He speaks calmly without taking his sharp eyes off the road. “Hold on.” 

You only have a second or two to process his warning before he makes another sharp turn, driving onto the sidewalk to get past a truck delivering boxes to a small store. Your grip on your seat is so strong your knuckles are turning white, but you don’t dare loosen them an inch. 

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST IT?!?” Aaron shouts as he to holds on for dear life. 

A large shadow catches your attention in the side mirror. Focusing as much as you can while driving on the sidewalk going ninety miles an hour, you try to make out the large shadow. Your eyes widen with horror when you realize that the large shadow isn’t a single being, in fact it’s many; many demons running after you to be more exact. Sudden realization of Gilver’s words hits you like a brick wall. You have to agree with him on this one. With this many demons hunting after you the chaotic driving is without a doubt necessary. 

A pain shoots up your arm. Wincing you discover that the markings the demon killing bracelet had left on your flesh are glowing red with warning that demons are near. You don’t exactly need the warning considering it’s fairly obvious that a horde of demonic monsters are chasing after the car like dogs after a mailman. Not entirely sure if your more concerned with the creatures crashing into people. Buildings and cars in an attempt to get to you, or with the now, kill anything, bracelet that’s imbedded into your body activating and attacking like it had earlier. 

You are quickly brought out of your thoughts when bystanders scream in horror when Gilver drives into a large park, only to run for their lives when the demon horde quickly follows. Everything happens so fast your mind can barely comprehend any of it. You remember the flash image of a mother holding a terrified child to you as the car races towards them. In the next instant Gilver turns the car last minute to avoid hitting them. However the maneuver brings the car in the direct path of a large tree. Before the vehicle can make contact with the tree Gilver grabs you into his arms and jumps from the car. 

You’re only aware of the devastating shriek of a scream that leaves your throat when Gilver lands gracefully on his feet, holding you in his strong arms, a short distance from the now twisted metal that was a car only a few minutes ago. Panic consumes you and you fight against Gilver’s hold trying desperately to get to the car to see if Aaron is still alive or not. You no longer care about the demons closing in, or the bracelet causing searing pain to attack your arm. You don’t even care who Gilver is or why he took you to start with. The only solitary thing racing through your mind is Aaron. He has to be okay, he just has to be. Without him…what will you do? You can’t imagine a life without him in it. 

“Calm yourself.” Gilver says smoothly. He sets you down but keeps an arm wrapped around you to prevent you from rushing over to the wreck and leaving his side lest the demons kill you. 

“Screw you! How the hell am I supposed to calm down when Aaron could be dead, or hurt?! This is your fault!! Let me go!!!” You continue your struggle against Gilver when suddenly a dozen red swords shoot forth from the markings on your wrist. 

“Don’t move.” Gilver’s voice is commanding and causes your struggles to cease now realizing the situation you’re in. Gilver releases his hold on you and reaches into his dress coat pulling out two large shinning silver daggers. Like a flash of lightning Gilver rushes at the demons, joining the red swords in dispatching the demons. You frantically search your mind trying to figure out how to stop the swords once the demons are gone. When they’re all dead the swords will turn on you just like last time. But what can you do? Gilver said to stay put and with all the chaos around you, you’d rather not defy him. 

Gilver moves so swiftly you can only catch glimpses and blurred movements as he slices through demon after demon. You’ve only seen one other person move that fast but that was a long time ago and that person is gone now. Glancing over to the car wreck slight relief fills your heart and soul when you spot Aaron crawl out of the dented in back seat and collapse onto the grass. You resist the urge to run over to him and make sure he’s okay. Right now he’s going unnoticed by the demons. If you go to him then he will be spotted and will be put in danger. Also with him passed out he’s doesn’t have to see this battle. 

Demonic blood soaks into the ground and stains the surrounding grass as the demon’s numbers thin out more and more until there are only a few left. Between Gilver and the red swords the demons are quickly dispatched. When there are only three or four demons remaining fear fills you when a few of the swords switch targets. They ignore Gilver, who is currently digging one of his daggers into the heart of a demon, and shoot towards you so much faster than last time. Your eyes only catch a faint red trail that they leave behind them. Gilver notices too late. Even with his incredible speed he has no chance to get to you in time. You don’t bother to run. Even if you did there’s no way you can avoid or escape them, not at this speed. A strong, sharp gust of wind cuts across the park when the swords are only a foot or so from you. You blink, confused, as the swords shatter into crystalized fragments which fall onto the grass.


	27. What Once Was Lost

Fate  
Chapter 27: What Once Was Lost

_“The people who are meant to be in your life will always gravitate back towards you, no matter how far they wander.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A strong, sharp gust of wind cuts across the park when the swords are only a foot or so from you. You blink, confused, as the swords shatter into crystalized fragments which fall onto the grass. You stumble back a few steps in surprise, Gilver rushing over to your side. Your focus changes from the broken red crystals littering the grass to look up at the man standing next to you. Gilver however doesn’t return the gesture. Instead, his eyes are fiercely focused on something across the park on the direction the strong gust came from. Following his gaze your eyes stop and lock onto an approaching figure. 

The figure in question is a man slightly taller than Gilver. While this man too wears a black suit his face is hidden behind a dark blue mask that resembles a devil. His hand is tightly gripped around a large sword as he comes at a halt a few feet away. Gilver moves, placing himself between this masked man and you with his daggers at the ready to fight this stranger off at any moment. 

“Leave.” Gilver warns with an even, cold voice. You don’t know anything about Gilver aside from his name, but you do know that, that was going to be his only warning. 

“You’re in my way.” Your heart stops and fear courses through your body. The tone of the stranger is so bone chilling cold and intimidating it makes Gilver’s warning seem like baby talk, which is a remarkable feat. 

A groan catches your ears and you turn to look in time to see Aaron stiffly walking over towards you, his eyes darting between Gilver and the stranger. “Are you okay?!” You meet him halfway worried that he’s badly hurt. 

“Yeah, I think so.” He murmurs and rubs the back of his head. “What about you?” 

“I’m fine.” You spread your arms out slightly as if to prove to him that you really are undamaged. 

A deep sigh of relief leaves his lips as his warm eyes stare into your own. Reassured that Aaron isn’t hurt, you turn your full attention back to the stare down between Gilver and the stranger. Neither have moved from where they stood; the tension only building between the two. Gilver continues his steady, threatening stare upon the stranger, eyes unwavering. The mysterious masked man however isn’t returning Gilver’s gaze. Instead, the stranger’s eyes are locked on you and every little movement you make. Every rise and fall of your chest as you breath in and out, how you shift your weight nervously as you inch closer to Aaron unaware that you are even doing so. No one little thing escapes this man’s piercing eyes. 

After what feels like hours or perhaps even days the stranger once again starts to walk forward, not concerned with Gilver in the least bit, as if he’s not even there at all. The masked man’s destination obvious as he begins his approach on you; eyes still ever locked onto your form as he does so. A blur of black and white appear before you and it takes you a second to realize that the blur is Gilver who has once again placed himself between you and the masked stranger. 

Though he’s trying his best to remain unfazed when the masked man’s eyes shoot to him in a glare so intimidating and frostbitten cold that you doubt death itself could manage such a look, you can tell that the look unnerves Gilver by how his body tenses. 

“You will not have her.” Gilver’s voice hard and authoritative. 

“You know who I am,” The masked man starts as if board by Gilver. “You know you cannot defeat me.” 

Gilver’s grip on his daggers tighten, but he doesn’t budge an inch, refusing to step away and allow this stranger to approach you. “Yes, I know who you are. I know what you are and because of that I cannot step back even if I know your strength outweighs my own.” 

You turn your eyes from Gilver’s back to stare through the holes in the strangers mask and gaze into his eyes. Everything around you goes forgotten as you stare into the man’s eyes. He seems familiar and yet a complete stranger. Like a part of you is terrified of this unknown man and is sending warning bells shooting off in your head. But at the same time a part of you wants to look deeper, is trying to, in search of…something. What that something is, you have no idea. The man’s eyes dart over to stare back at you like frozen ponds. You can’t look away. A part of you wants so desperately to, but you just can’t. 

“You’re supposed to be dead, elder son of Sparda.” Gilver’s voice and the ice blue of the strangers eyes hit you like a truck, or perhaps a train. 

Your eyes widen and your heart races as you step forwards to stand next to Gilver. “V-Vergil?” Your voice comes out shaky but you don’t even notice. You’re too distracted staring at the masked man waiting for some sort of answer rather it is a positive one or negative. The masked man doesn’t answer; he only continues to gaze at you with his frozen blue eyes. After a few minutes that seemed to be frozen in time, the mysterious man reaches up with his free hand, not gripped onto his sword, and removes his mask, letting it fall from his hand to the ground by his feet. And standing there, eyes still locked onto you, is Vergil. 

The world around you becomes almost nonexistent. Gilver, Aaron, the demon blood pooled around your feet in the grass, the wrecked car, even the pedestrians slowly approaching the area to investigate and the sirens approaching in the distance all go unnoticed by you. Not even aware of your own actions, you slowly take a step forward, and then another. A hand shoots out and suddenly seizes your wrist, stopping you from getting any closer to Vergil. Following the hand to its owner your eyes settles on Gilver. He doesn’t look at you, only pulls you gently back and stepping between you and Vergil once more. The action causes Vergil to shoot Gilver another death glare, almost challenging him to continue to stand in Vergil’s way. 

“You will not have her.” Gilver’s voice, though cold, is calm given the situation. “There isn’t a demon alive that doesn’t know of you son of Sparda; of your true intentions. You desire only power and will do anything to achieve it. You would destroy this whole world if it meant that you could gain even a fraction of power from doing so. Given the current situation I really shouldn’t have been surprised that you would have appeared. The authenticity of your death has always been questioned. I don’t know how she knows you, but I will not allow her to blindly follow you as you lead her to her death. Not with the secret being slipped as it is.” 

“What’s going on?” Aaron questions coming to stand next to you, yet your eyes never leave Vergil. Gilver thinks Vergil is going to kill you? Why would he do that? Something about gaining power? What could anyone gain from killing little old you? You bite your lip in thought. Yes, Vergil is dangerous. You’ve seen how easily he can kill pretty much anything five years ago. He wouldn’t kill you though would he? After all if he wanted to kill you for some benefit then wouldn’t he of done so five years ago? He had plenty of opportunity to. Instead of killing you or letting you die, he instead saved you, going out of his way to do so on a few occasions. Vergil won’t kill you. But…then again a lot can change in five years. Perhaps in that time Vergil has changed as well and now he really does want to kill you for some unknown reason. 

At the same time, how trust worth is Gilver? You know Vergil, or at least you used to. But you know nothing about Gilver. Sure he’s saved you from those demons and from the car crash. But who’s to say he’s not the bad guy here trying to convince you he’s good and that Vergil is bad so that he can kill you himself later? He didn’t save Aaron from the car wreck like he did you, but you doubt that Vergil would have either in the same situation. This is a gamble and a big one at that. You can either stay with Gilver and may end up dead, go with Vergil and end up dead or just walk away from both of them and end up dead from either a demon attack or the damn bracelet. In a sea of all these unknowns you feel like you’re drowning. The only thing you have to stay afloat may actually bring about your death, but if you don’t try to cling to it then you’ll drown for sure. 

You place a hand on Gilver’s arm as you walk past him to keep him from moving in front of you or pushing you behind him again. “If Vergil has come here for me then I’m going with him.” 

You can feel Gilver tense at your words, clearly not approving of your decision. “Are you certain?” 

“Yes,” Your voice is clear with no hesitation. Your mind is made up and that’s that. “I trust Vergil. If he went out of his way to come here then it’s for a damn good reason.” 

“Very well then.” Gilver gives in before stashing his daggers once more within his dress coat. “But I will be accompanying you. I will not leave you defenseless against this power hungry devil.” 

“Um?” Aaron questions once more confused. 

You turn to him and offer an apologetic look. “I’ll explain later I promise.” Now isn’t the time to tell Aaron that Vergil is the guy from five years ago that you told him about. So far you’ve been able to deflect his questions on what happened back then and why you had to go with Vergil. Not wanting to lie but also not wanting to tell him about the existence of demons. The sirens draw closer and closer and you know it’s time to go. The police are still slightly questioning if you were the one who killed your dad and ran from the scene of the crime. To be caught now by a wrecked car surrounded by blood wouldn’t lessen their suspicion that’s for sure and you doubt Vergil or Gilver have the patience to deal with questioning police. They very well may end up killing the law enforcers out of annoyance. 

“Let’s go.” Vergil’s voice is commanding, as he glances off in the direction of the sirens proving your theory correct. Your hand slides into Aaron’s and without a word the three of you follow Vergil out of the park and off into the city. Your destination, once again, is unknown.


	28. Friend or Foe

Fate  
Chapter 28: Friend or Foe

_“Sometimes I wish I could crawl inside his head just to know what he is thinking when he talks to me.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The feel of skin being pulled makes you wince more in disgust with the sensation then from actual pain. Your skillful fingers carefully remove the last of the stitches. 

“It’s only been a few hours, how can it be completely healed already?” Aaron questions from his place sitting next to you on the large bed. 

After your reunion with Vergil in the park, he had led you, Aaron and Gilver deeper into the city and to a hotel. It’s not a five star resort, but neither is it a crappy rundown hobble. 

“I really don’t know.” You frown. Sure, you’re happy that it’s healed and you don’t have to worry about it hindering you. However, at the same time you can’t help but to be slightly creeped out by the sheer speed of your recovery. 

“Are you sure you’re okay Aaron?” You frown. Though he didn’t seem to suffer anything more than a few scratches and bruises from the car crash, you can’t help but to worry. 

“I’m fine. But there is something bothering me.” Aaron starts, turning to Gilver who is gazing out the window with his back to the two of you. “Who are the both of you exactly? What do you want with us?” 

Vergil returning from the bathroom catches not only Aaron’s attention but yours as well. Your eyes widen slightly in surprise. You recognize that coat anywhere. Vergil is dressed just as he was five years ago; no longer sporting the suit. His piercing blue eyes lock onto your own and you realize that you have been staring. You quickly look away before your face can redden with embarrassment. 

Your eyes settle on your lap and your mind races for anything to change the awkward mood that was cast with your staring. Your thoughts go back to Aaron’s questions. You can’t just keep him in the dark, but at the same time you can’t just tell him about demons. Besides, it’s not like you completely know what the hell is going on either; though you know more than Aaron. No, it’s time to be fair and fess up. Not about demons but everything else. 

“I never told you about what happened after my dad was killed did I?” You start gaining Aaron’s full attention. “It’s kind of a long story but it’s time you heard it. After all we’re getting married in a month.” 

You don’t see nor do you look to meet it but you can feel it. With your words Vergil’s cold gaze on you is like a bucket of ice water being dumped upon your head with no warning and you fight the shiver trying to run up your spine. 

“When I got home I found my dad dead in his truck. But the killer hadn’t left yet and was watching me. When I finally realized it, I ran and it… _he_ ,” You correct yourself and lie for Aaron’s sake. “Chased me. I ran into Vergil and he saved me from the killer. But the killer wasn’t working alone and I was afraid to be alone. Vergil let me tag along with him for a few weeks and kept me safe from the killers associates. I left Vergil once…” 

You pause dreading this moment. Now what? What really did happen all those years ago? You can’t say you left once you were safe. He had given you the demon killing bracelet long before you left. But even with that safety net you still remained with him. You stayed because at the time there was no other place you wanted to be. You can’t even tell Aaron that you left because Vergil dealt with all the ‘bad guys’. Sure he killed most of the demons that ever threatened you but it’s not like he killed every single demon in existence. 

Looking back you left because after you recovered from the werewolf attack and the poison Vergil had changed. He treated you like you didn’t even exist anymore. Somewhere along the lines you became nothing and no one to him. Then again were you anything more than that? 

You shake your head to clear your mind. Aaron’s waiting for you to finish and here you are day dreaming about what happened five years ago. Five years ago in a past that you decided to forget and move on from. “I left Vergil once I recovered from a flu I had caught. Then lived will Melody and you know the rest.” It’s not a complete lie. Sure there’s a difference between a flu and a deadly poison but again he doesn’t need to know every detail for the sake of his own sanity. 

“Vergil?” Aaron raises a brow. 

You motion with your head to Vergil who has yet to remove his petrifying gaze from you. You still don’t dare to look at him. The last time you saw him five years ago you were nothing to him. He wouldn’t even look at you let alone acknowledge your existence. Now, like at the park, his eyes remain fixed upon you. That’s why you had left. If he acted like he had before fighting the werewolf pack then you could have managed. You could put up with his harsh words and threats. You could deal with his glares and bitterness. But to be ignored completely and wholly, that’s what drove you away from him in the end. 

But if back then he pushed you away by ignoring you, then why is he so different now? Why is he here? Why does he care? 

“Who’s Gilver then?” Aaron’s words shatter your thoughts and bring you back to the present. Who is Gilver? A very good question indeed. 

“I don’t know. I’ve never met him before.” Your voice comes out unintentionally soft like a whisper. 

“A friend.” Gilver states before suddenly turning to face you and Aaron on the bed. “And currently the only one who is trying to keep you alive.” 

“Keep us alive? We’re in some sort of danger; because from what I’ve seen so far the only thing posing any danger is the two of you.” Aaron frowns. 

“You don’t matter in the least.” Vergil’s voice is as frigid as ever, his eyes meeting Aaron’s. “Your safety as with your life, amount to nothing. However, she,” Vergil shifts his gaze from Aaron to you. “Is nothing like you. She amounts and she is in grave danger.” 

“Are you saying that I don’t matter?” Aaron growls. “How can yo-“ 

“Vergil is correct.” Gilver efficiently cuts off Aaron. “You don’t matter in the least bit boy.” Aaron keeps his mouth shut but glares angrily at the two men. 

“He does matter!” You state sharply causing all eyes to break the three way glaring contest. “I don’t know what either of you want or what this danger is but Aaron does matter. If either of you ever state otherwise then so help me I will walk out that door mysterious danger be dammed!” 

You inhale a deep breath to calm your frustrated nerves. “Now, what am I in danger from?” Numerous things come to mind, all mainly involving demons one way or another. Was that demon that killed your dad five years ago the kid of some big shot demon that now wants revenge? It’s not too farfetched after all that was pretty much the whole werewolf problem in a nutshell. 

“From me.” Vergil simply states; no emotion in neither his voice, face nor eyes. No hint at elaborating further. Nothing. Just those two words. 

Well it’s not completely out of the park. He is half devil so you were correct in guessing it demon related. But why would you be in danger from Vergil? Wasn’t he the one who saved you from the dammed swords at the park? He never showed any signs of killing you. Well…in the past he had threatened you. Even held his sword at your throat once if you recall correctly. But he never acted on the threats he dished out. He had plenty of time to harm you back then and instead saved your sorry butt over and over. 

Even now he hasn’t shown any signs of doing you harm. It was clear at the park that if he wished to harm you he could have easily cut through Gilver to get to you. Hell, Gilver himself even acknowledged that he was no match to Vergil. But then again…Gilver also said that Vergil was bad news. The whole showdown between the two at the park proved that Gilver meant his words even if they maybe true or not. 

“Again I fear I must agree with Vergil.” Gilver looks like he’s not pleased about agreeing with the blue devil. “He is a greedy devil who would do whatever it takes to gain power. Including killing you if it meant he could gain the might he so desires. You cannot trust him. I do not know of your dealings with him in the past other then what you have stated but regardless of your past connections with him you must believe me or you will surly lose your life to this devil. Cut all ties with him. It is wise for you to remain as far away from the elder son of Sparda as possible.” 

“To be far from me would also be unwise.” Vergil starts, his pale blue eyes meet yours. “While I indeed pose the greatest threat to you, I also am the only one who can assist you.” 

“Finally.” Gilver mummers under his breath. “I disagree son of Sparda. I am more than capable of protecting her from any dangers that arise. You are not needed nor is your presence desired here any longer.” 

“Yes I observed your skills.” Vergil glares at Gilver. “Tell me fraud, was running away in a car with your tail between your legs part of your plan to see to her safety?” 

“I had no trouble in dealing with them.” 

“Ignoring your failure will not gain you anything. We both are aware that if I had not shown up then those swords would hav-“ 

“And whose fault is it that the swords are even a problem to start with?” Gilver growls. If this keeps up then the two will rip each other apart. Wait a… 

“The swords…” You murmur. “Am I in danger because of this?” You hold up your wrist that has still holds the markings from the bracelet being absorbed into your flesh. 

Without a word, Vergil approaches and stands before you. He takes your hand in his and you fight the blush that wants to appear on your face. His hand, though concealed partly by his leather glove, is warm. Even his grip on your hand as he examines the markings on your wrist is gentle and soft and goes against his usual persona. You can feel your heart wanting to beat faster and find yourself unable to look away from his face as he turns your wrist this way and that carefully examining the markings. 

“When did this occur?” His eyes slide from your wrist to your face. Your breath catches in your throat as his ice blue orbs lock onto your own. In that moment everything melts away. The hotel, Gilver, and even Aaron; the threat of demons or the damn bracelet. Every single thing melts away and in that moment there is only you and Vergil. 

Something shifts in his eyes and it takes you a moment to realize what it is. It’s acknowledgment. There is no hiding anything from him. He knows. Even if he approves of it or not, Vergil knows exactly what is running through your mind in this moment. A warm hand suddenly covering your free hand snaps you away from Vergil’s gaze and back to reality. A quick glance out of the corner of your eye confirms the hand belongs to Aaron. 

That’s right, you were asked a question. “Earlier today. I was on my way home and was attacked. It activated and killed the dem…attackers.” That’s right; you can’t lose your head. Aaron is right next to you which means you have to translate demons into vague attackers. Then again with the talk of killing and magic swords you already know that you’ll have to explain more to your poor confused fiancé. “But after that it turned and attacked me. I ran and my wrist started hurting. Next thing I know the bracelet is so tight it felt like it was going to sever my hand off. Then it just absorbed into me and left those marks.” 

Much to your relief Vergil turns his melting stare back to the markings. “That was the first time it activated since you left.” It’s not a question but a fact he states. 

Regardless you nod anyways. “Do you know how to get it out of me?” 

“No, but I know of one who may.” Vergil stands and heads to the door. Already knowing that you are meant to follow, you stand, tighten your grip in Aaron’s hand and start to follow Vergil out the door. 

“Do you truly intend to foolishly follow him?” Gilver’s words halt your footsteps. “That devil will be the death of you.” 

You don’t look back at Gilver. Instead your eyes remain locked on the door as it closes itself behind Vergil. After a moment of silence you turn partly to face Gilver. Despite the bandages hiding his face from view, you know his expression is one of surprise. Your lips form a relaxed, meaningful smile. “Perhaps he will kill me.” 

Gilver opens his mouth but you don’t give him the chance to let any words escape. 

“Perhaps Vergil will kill me.” You continue. “But even so I trust him. And so I will do whatever he asks even if it will only lead to my death.” That said you drag a surprised Aaron out the door with you to catch up to Vergil, Gilver quietly following right behind.


	29. Cake Walk

Fate  
Chapter 29: Cake Walk

_“Nothing surprises me anymore” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Do you know why your dad’s murder wanted to kill him?” Aaron asks as the two of you walk hand in hand a short ways behind Vergil; Gilver bringing up the rear behind you. 

You frown. “No. I think he just happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time.” 

“You said that the killer was still there when you came home. Usually people don’t just stick around after they’ve killed someone. Doesn’t it, you know, seem a little unusual that he waited there for no reason unless he knew you were going to show up.” 

“It does seem a little odd.” However like Aaron said, ‘people don’t just stick around after they’ve killed someone.’ Demons aren’t people. They’re more like predatory animals than anything else. So who’s to say that lying in wait like that isn’t normal for a demon looking for an easy meal? 

“And I’m no expert but bracelets absorbing into people like that isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence.” Aaron puzzles. 

“No, it’s not.” You can’t help but to smile a little. “But the bracelet itself wasn’t exactly normal to begin with. I can’t really explain why it was special; you’ll just have to take my word for it.” 

“Any idea where he’s taking us?” Aaron motions to the blue back of Vergil’s coat. 

“None once so ever.” You admit. “But like I said, I trust Vergil. He’s the one that gave me the bracelet so if anyone knows how to get it out, it’s him.” 

A silence falls between the two of you and it’s far from comfortable. Slowly, as more seconds tick by, the tension between you two grows and grows. You both know that Aaron wants to say something but is holding back; for what reasons you don’t know. It isn’t long before the silence gets to him and he finally give in. 

“So,” Aaron starts. “He gave you that bracelet?” 

“That’s what was bothering you?” You raise a brow surprised. Aaron’s never been the jealous type so this is coming out of nowhere. 

“It’s just; I’ve never seen you without it ever. You never take it off. And yet I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen you wear the engagement ring I bought for you.” Aaron says hesitant. 

“That’s because I’m afraid I’ll lose it. I use my hands a lot when working at the hospital and knowing my luck it would get caught on something and I’d end up losing it. Then I’d be completely heartbroken.” You place your hand on Aaron’s shoulder to reassure him. It seems to work and he visible relaxes and perks up. 

A quick glance over your shoulder tells you the Gilver is still glaring at Vergil’s back. If looks could kill then Vergil very well of been dead already. You bite your lip before releasing your grip on Aaron’s hand. You need to confirm something; something without Gilver or Aaron interfering. You speed your stride up until your pace matches Vergil’s and you are walking next to his side. 

A quick sideways glance at the chilly man tells you that he either doesn’t notice you now next to him, or he chooses not to acknowledge you. Given that nothing goes past Vergil’s knowing the second seems the more likely case. 

“I wanted to ask without them hearing.” You start softly, making sure to keep your voice low enough so that neither Aaron nor Gilver would be able to hear. “What you said in that hotel, was it true? Am I really in danger of you?” 

“Yes.” His answer is short and stern, not even bothering a glance your way. 

“Even if you say so, I don’t believe you.” If he truly posed a threat to you then you would be long gone by now. None of Vergil’s opponents live long. If he wanted you dead then you would be dead it’s that simple. The thing is you’re not dead. In fact you’re very much alive. He’s even taking you…well actually you don’t really know where, but wherever he is taking you is in order to get the bracelet out of you. With it out then you won’t have to worry about the swords going crazy and attacking you and anyone nearby when demons appear. Then again the thought of being completely unarmed with demons around isn’t exactly a comforting thought either. But for now, you are safe so long as Vergil is near. After all, he said so himself. 

“Then you are far more foolish then I first thought.” His words are ice and cut through you leaving you cold. He really just called you an idiot for not believing him. 

You bite your lip in thought. Despite being ruthless and frozen hearted, Vergil is a very honorable man. Your time with him five years ago taught you that much. If he says something then he truly means it. He’s not the type to day something just to please another. He said that he’s going to take you to someone who could get the bracelet out of your wrist and look at you right now, on your way to see this mystery person. 

Even five years ago you learned that he speaks truths, even if they are hard to swallow. Like when that little girl was killed by those demons in that parking lot. You wanted to blame everything but who truly deserved it. Vergil made you realize that the only one to blame for her death was you yourself. This is no different from then. Vergil is telling you the truth but instead of accepting it and believing him you’re acting like a child hoping to change the truth simply by denying it to yourself. 

Vergil clams to be the biggest threat to you, confirmed even more so by Gilver, and yet you don’t want to believe it. Instead you keep coming up with all the ways he’s wrong based on what happened five years ago. Five years is a _long_ time and people change. You expect the Vergil that’s walking next to you to be the same one from way back then. That is not the case and he’s even telling you so. 

Your pace slows and you fall behind Vergil. You don’t look at him, you can’t. He’s right, you are foolish. You don’t even notice that your feet have stopped all together until you feel a hand rest on your shoulder. You look up expecting to see Aaron, however instead you are met with the bandaged face of Gilver. His eyes tell you that he’s aware of your sudden realization and while he’s giving you a stern expression that reminds you of an ‘I warned you’ look, his strong hand on your shoulder is meant as a sort of comfort. You offer him a small smile and let him gently push you onwards. 

From the outside the small shop doesn’t seem overly impressive. It seems to be mostly ignored completely by passersby’s. The show window next to the old wooden door displays thick old books with writing you don’t recognize along with various trinkets. Some sort of antique shop perhaps? The soft chime of a bell sounds when the door is opened. As you set foot inside the shop you are quickly overcome by the intense smell of incents burning. The odor is so strong you scrunch your nose up and you can already feel a headache coming on. 

Like you had speculated, the shop is an antique store. Shelves and tables are covered in various objects, all looking very old. Some look cheap, others clearly more than you’d ever be able to afford. All are polished, cleaned and ready to be sold. 

Vergil bypasses the tables and displays heading to the counter on the far side of the shop. Behind it sits a short elderly woman who, despite every hair on her head being grey, is actually very beautiful. 

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you ever again, son of Sparda. How many years has it been? Ten? Eleven?” The woman seems to be completely unfazed by Vergil. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” 

“I could ask you the same.” Vergil scuffs. Although he still holds his proud stature and unreadable face, Vergil seems to relax, if only an inch, in front of the woman. “I require your assistance.” 

The woman bursts out in a laughing fit. “I never thought I’d live to hear you ask for help.” She struggles to regain her composer. 

If her statement bothered Vergil he makes no indication of it. “You merely have a specific skill set that I need to make use of.” 

“If I help you then will my debt be settled?” She inquires. 

“Yes.” 

“Good to hear.” She grins. “Show me what you’ve got.” Without a word Vergil side steps allowing you to approach the counter next to him. You hold up your wrist and allow the woman to take it in her hand to get a better look at the marking. 

“My, my this is some pickle you’ve gotten yourself into girl.” She mummers and glances up to Vergil. “You’re doing I assume.” 

“Partly.” 

“Hmmm,” She hums in thought before releasing your hand. “This way.” You follow the short women through a doorway behind the counter and into another room. This room, like the last, is filled with various objects however they are far more numerous and have no price tags you note. 

“You sure have a lot of random things in this shop.” Aaron muses while examining a necklace that rests next to an old brass clock. 

“This is my ‘special inventory’ off limits to most customers.” The shop owner explains. 

“Why is that if you don’t mind me asking? Is this stuff rare?” Aaron questions. 

“Yes but not in the traditional sense you may think. Everything back here is otherworldly. Whether it contains magic, a devil’s soul, angel’s tear, you name it, I have it.” Aaron holds back a laugh and tries to hide his ‘you’re just a crazy old lady’ look. 

“Sit there girl.” The women instructs you to sit on a plan wooden chair while she makes her way over to a towering bookshelf stuffed to the brim with thick old tomes. 

“Is that a ‘magical’ chair that will get the bracelet out of her?” Aaron raises a brow playing along. 

The old woman looks over her shoulder at him like he’s the biggest moron in the world. “No because that is a normal chair from my breakfast table you idiot. I had her sit in it because she looks exhausted and if Vergil is involved then lord knows she’s been through a lot and needs a break.” 

“Oh.” Are Aaron’s only words before he falls silent. 

You watch her skim through book covers, opening a few only to frown or huff in frustration and place it back onto the shelf. “I never caught your name.” You break the silence. 

“Delia Dwan at your service. I’ve been running this shop by myself ever since my husband passed away two hundred and forty-six years ago.” She muses nonchalantly before returning her focus on locating the correct book. 

You don’t even bother to ask or question. You’ve been attacked by demons, kidnapped by werewolves and are currently trying to find a way to get a demon killing bracelet out of your arm so that it won’t turn around and kill you. Having Delia tell you that she’s over two hundred and forty-six years old is something easy to accept compared to the rest.


	30. More than Chance

Fate   
Chapter 30: More than Chance

_“A simple hello can lead to a million things.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“How did a girl like you end up involving yourself with someone like the elder son of Sparda?” Delia asks. After an hour of looking through every book on the multiple shelves in her ‘special selection’, she dubbed it time to take a quick tea break to allow her time to think of where what she is looking for maybe located. You had offered her help needing a much needed break from men. You just wonder how Aaron is holding up being alone in that room with both Gilver and Vergil. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” You offer a small smile as you lean against the kitchen counter watching the kettle boil. 

“All the best ones always are dear.” She grins. “So, tell me.” 

“It started five years ago. I was on my way home and some thugs were harassing and threatening me. Vergil showed up out of nowhere and killed them, saving me from them in the process. He wouldn’t so much as tell me his name and left as quickly as he had appeared. I didn’t think I’d see him again. A few days later I came home late one night and found my dad dead. He had been killed by a demon, except the demon was still there waiting for me. It chased me and I ran. My car died and I thought I was going to join it but, like before, Vergil just happened to be there and saved me from it. He let me tag along with him for a while and a lot of crazy things happened that I never thought were possible. I was attacked by demons, dragged into old crypts, and even kidnapped by a pack of vengeful werewolves. But no matter what I was put through he was always there to get me out and save my sorry butt.” 

Delia laughs lightly. “The thought of him playing knight in shining armor is hard to picture.” 

“It really is isn’t it?” You laugh along with her. “After the werewolf incident however he changed. He was even colder to me then when we had very first met that night with the thugs. No, perhaps colder isn’t the right world. He wasn’t colder he simply ignored me all together. Wouldn’t look at me, talk to me, or acknowledge me at all. Heck he wouldn’t even threaten me. It happened so suddenly to, I never could figure out why. I just figured that he was tired of me being around; so I left. Now, five years later, he just came walking into my life like he did that night so long ago. Thinking about it really, I only happen to know Vergil by chance.” 

“Ah, my dear,” Delia smiles fondly. “I believe something far more powerful than just chance has him appearing in your life again.” 

You gaze at the hot tea kettle but don’t really see it; to lost in thought. Delia’s words cause you to really think. If your dad didn’t ask you to go shopping that day five years ago then you never would have been late coming home and ran into those thugs. No, that’s not true. There’s more than that. If Melody’s family wasn’t in that car accident she wouldn’t have asked you to go over to Liz’s. If Liz wasn’t sick you wouldn’t have burned up day light going over to her house to drop off those notes. If your car hadn’t decided to die then, even though everything was fine with it, then you would have gotten to the store sooner and could have simply driven home and avoided those thugs all together. If it didn’t rain then you wouldn’t have had to take that shady shortcut. If you didn’t take that shortcut then you never would have ran into those ‘outstanding members of society’. If you never had been harassed by them then you never would have met Vergil. 

Had you not gone to the library or hadn’t studied as long and came home sooner then perhaps your dad would still be alive. If that demon wasn’t sitting there waiting for you; if it didn’t decide to attack you or chance you halfway through the city. If your car had decided to die sooner, or even not at all, then you never would have run into Vergil a second time. If Vergil hadn’t let you go with him. 

Even now, five years later, your reunion is based upon this idea. If you hadn’t fallen asleep you could have gotten your stuff over to Aaron’s sooner. If you hadn’t forgotten to feed Melody’s cat you could have stayed at Aaron’s longer. If you had just waited at Aaron’s or let him drive you home. If you hadn’t forgotten your cell phone at work or locked yourself out of Melody’s like an idiot. If your landlord hadn’t left town to care for her dad who had suddenly gotten ill. If you didn’t run into Ishon or decide to get something sweet at the bakery. If those demons decided that they’d let you go instead of attacking you. If the bracelet hadn’t gone crazy. 

No, all of that had led you to Gilver, not to Vergil. Then again, if Gilver had not saved you from the swords or had taken you to the hospital, and out of it. If he hadn’t driven the way he did to get away from those demons; heck, if those demons had decided not to attack. If the car had not crashed. If none of that stuff had happened, and happened the way and exact time they did then you never would have met Vergil again. But if none of that stuff happened as it did and you didn’t reunite with Vergil in the park after the car crash then who’s to say that a different series of chance events strung together wouldn’t have brought the two of you together still? 

“Something far more powerful than chance?” You repeat Delia’s words softly to yourself in thought. 

“Hmm, I wonder.” Delia mummers as she picks up the kettle and pours the hot tea into five cups. 

“Wonder what?” You ask following her back into the ‘special artifacts’ room where Aaron waits awkwardly. Gilver hasn’t moved neither from where he was standing or his intense glare across the room at the blue devil. Vergil, not seeming to pay any mind to Gilver’s failed intimidation tactics, stands against the far wall, arms crossed and eyes closed, waiting for you and Delia to return. 

Delia walks around the room, stopping at all three men and offers them tea, of which all but Vergil accept. She returns to your side and offers you a cup, of which you gratefully accept, before taking a cup herself and setting the tray containing the lone cup on a table. 

“Without the book you’re looking for you really can’t help her?” Aaron questions. 

“Correct. Although they look familiar, I’ve never seen markings like that before.” Delia says. “However, after our little girl talk in the kitchen I think I may have an idea.” 

“I’m curious so tell me son of Sparda,” Delia starts, “You gave her a ‘protector’s bracelet’ didn’t you?” 

“Yes.” Vergil says unmoving, still keeping his eyes closed. 

“Protector’s bracelet?” Aaron raises a brow. 

“A protector’s bracelet is a charm that wards off and destroys various things or beings if they get to close or pose a threat to the wearer but only so long as they’re not overly powerful. What they destroy depends on how they are made.” Gilver explains, surprising you. 

Delia turns to you. “He gave it to you before you parted ways five years ago correct?” 

“Yes, and it saved my butt a few times.” You answer. 

“After those werewolves attacked you, did it activate? Even once?” She asks. 

You shake your head. “No, the first time since then that it activated was early this morning actually. I was attacked, it went crazy and attacked me, and then this happened.” You motion to the markings on your wrist. 

Delia takes a step towards Vergil and gazes up at him intently. “Son of Sparda, did those werewolves awaken the devil in you?” 

Silence fills the room and all eyes are on Vergil. He doesn’t move or make any signs that he intends to answer. However, regardless, Delia seems to get her answer, his silence just as telling as words. 

“You bastard!” She yells and throws her cup at him. It smashes against the wall just next to him staining the walls with tea as broken ceramic falls to the floor. “How do you expect me to help you when you hold back information like that? You knew all along why this happened!” 

“I thought you capable of fixing it. Was I wrong?” Vergil opens his ice eyes to return Delia’s glare. 

“Umm, what’s going on?” Aaron questions confused. 

Delia turns her back to Vergil, clearly pissed at the man. Instead she makes her way back to you. “As I said before the protector’s bracelet will attack whatever you wish depending on how it’s made. The one he gave you, he made himself. He used his own blood, being half devil himself, to make the bracelet so that it will attack anything demonic. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem. But since then his inner devil has awakened.” 

“This ‘awakening’ has to do with why the protector’s bracelet is going crazy?” You ask. 

“It has everything to do with it.” Delia says. “After this awakening his demonic side surges, regardless if he takes on his demonic form or not. It causes changes, one being the amount of demonic power in his blood. Blood that was used to make the bracelet and is now inside you.” 

“How can the blood in the bracelet change when he made it before this awakening thingy?” You tilt your head confused. 

“Demons blood isn’t like that of a human. If the blood in the body changes then so does the blood outside.” Gilver explains. 

“Exactly.” Delia agrees. “It didn’t absorb into you sooner because it was never activated sooner.” 

“You knew all of this?” You look to Vergil. 

“It is irrelevant. Your only concern should be how to fix it, not how it happened.” His voice is ice water down your back. 

“It’s not like I can wave my magic wand and everything will be fine and dandy.” Delia scolds. “Fixing this will not be easy. You are able to keep your inner devil in check, yes, but you can’t keep it in line when it’s currently in the poor girls arm. Right now, your demonic essence is doing everything it can to kill her. This is why it absorbed into her. If it hadn’t then simply removing the bracelet would fix the problem. Thankfully, the bracelet is acting like a door. The door’s always closed, keeping the demonic essence from attacking; however that door opens whenever the bracelet is activated by a nearby weak demonic presence.” 

“That’s why the swords turn around and attack me after it kills the demons.” 

“Precisely.” Delia says. “I may be able to get the bracelet, and Vergil’s demonic essence out of you, however by forcing it out it would put up one hell of a fight; a fight that I have no doubt you would end up dying in.” 

“So then there’s really no way to remove it?” You frown. 

“No, however if you are somehow able to persuade it to not attack you then you won’t have a problem anymore. However the chances of that happening are about as likely as the son of Sparda smiling.” 

“Persuade it?” You raise a brow. “How?” 

“Anything demonic related isn’t exactly the easiest to explain.” Delia rubs her head in thought. “Think of it kind of loosely like two beings in one body. You have Mr. Sunshine over there,” She motions towards Vergil. “And you have his inner devil. Since the blood in the protector’s bracelet isn’t able to be kept in check by him, part of his inner devil is currently running around your body trying to kill you every chance it gets. It’s in its nature as a devil so no hard feelings. If you can somehow gain his devil’s respect then it may stop attacking you. How you would go about doing so, I have no clue.” 

So all you have to do is earn Vergil’s inner devil’s respect and it’ll stop trying to kill you? How hard could it be?


	31. Answers

Fate   
Chapter 31: Answers

_“Dreams are answers to questions we haven’t yet figured out.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“And you two can share this room.” Delia motions to the last door down the narrow hallway. 

“Thank you for everything Delia.” You smile. “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight dear.” She returns the smile before heading down the hallway and into what you assume is her room. 

You follow Aaron into the room provided by Delia. It’s not the biggest room, sporting only a queen bed and a dresser, but for after the long day you’ve been through it looks like paradise. You walk over to the bed and collapse onto is with a sigh after removing your shoes. Aaron remains silent, sitting on the edge of the bed. That familiar tension is back with full force. He wants to say something but isn’t sure how to word it or where to start. Given everything that’s been said you have a pretty good idea what topic is haunting his mind. 

“You know,” You nudge him with your foot. “I can’t answer anything if you don’t ask.” 

Aaron bites his lip, clearly hesitant. A deep sigh leaves you and you sit up next to him. “You want to know right? If demons are real? With everything that was said downstairs it seems I can’t avoid the topic any longer.” 

“I’m sorry,” He starts. “I’m being silly. I just must have misunderstood something.” 

You shake your head. “You’re not being silly and you haven’t misunderstood anything.” You take a deep breath. You’ve been avoiding this topic for so long. You didn’t want to drag Aaron into the world of demons. Once someone knows of their existence then there is no going back no matter how hard you try. But given the current situation it may be best to prepare him to face demons instead of hiding him from them. After all, he is going to be your husband in a month; though with everything going on you may have to reschedule your wedding. 

“I didn’t believe it at first either, though I was kind of quickly forced into believing. I don’t want that for you. I want to give you as much time as possible to wrap the idea around your mind.” You reach over and grab ahold of his hand. “My dad wasn’t killed by someone as much as it was something. When I had returned home that night and found him dead it wasn’t a person who was waiting there in the shadows. It was a monster; a demon. At the time, I had thought it was some sort of mutated animal or something. But it wasn’t. It had chased me in my car. My car died and it almost killed my like it had my dad, but then Vergil had appeared out of nowhere. He has easily killed the demon and let me venture along with him. That’s why I started to stay with him five years ago. He’s strong and was able to easily kill any demon. I was safe with him while I adjusted to this whole new other world.” 

“You realize that this all sounds absolutely crazy don’t you?” He looks over at you. 

You offer him a reassuring smile. “I know, it does, but it’s true. Vergil had given me that bracelet because it killed weaker demons if they got to close or attacked me. But now, since it was made with his blood and he’s half devil himself, Vergil’s inner devil is trying to kill me. That’s why the bracelet fused itself into my wrist; so I can’t simply take it off and be out of danger from it.” 

“You’re trying to tell me that monsters, demons are real and that, that creepy guy is one himself?” 

“Hey, Vergil’s not creepy; cold hearted and intensely intimidating, yes, but not creepy. If you want creepy then you should have meet this guy named Arkham, now he was _creepy_.” 

“Okay, I’ll play along right now for your sake. Say everything you’re telling me _is_ true, why not tell me sooner?” 

It’s your turn to bite your lip. “Like I said, I was forced into this world of demons without a heads up, warning and given no time to adjust. I didn’t want that for you. Once you enter this world of knowing then there’s no going back. You can’t unlearn or unsee things. If you didn’t have to know about the existence of demons then I thought it better to keep you blissfully ignorant. There are times I wish so badly I could go back to how I used to be before that demon killed my dad, but I can’t. But now with current events I can’t keep you from knowing.” 

Aaron crawls into bed, obviously just as exhausted as you are. “You’ll have to forgive me but I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

You turn off the light before settling into bed next to him. “If that’s the case then I hope for both our sakes you will never believe me.” You close your eyes in the darkness and quickly find sleep, worn out from all the day’s activity. 

Your eyes open to reveal a dark room and quiet building. You’re not sure what time it is, but you assume it’s late in the middle of the night. Next to you Aaron sleeps peacefully. Why are you awake? It was that dream again. You sit up and get out of bed careful not to wake Aaron in the process. You open the bedroom door with only a slight creek, slip out into the hallway and close it behind you. 

Deciding to help yourself to a glass of water you descend the steps into Delia’s room full of magical artifacts. Before you turn the corner into the kitchen your feet freeze in place at the base of the steps. It seems that you’re not the only one who is having trouble sleeping tonight. 

You stand still for a moment, debating if you want to ignore him and go into the kitchen or not. You walk over to one of the small windows and come to a stop next to him. Neither of you speak, instead you simply stand there and watch the light rainfall cover the world outside. The silence isn’t tense nor is it uncomfortable however you would be lying if you said that there wasn’t something in the air. What exactly you can’t really say. 

“You should be asleep.” Vergil’s voice comes out softly with none of its usual harshness. 

“Can’t; I keep having the same weird dream.” When Vergil remains silent you continue. “It’s always about this dragon. I wouldn’t think much of it but I’ve been dreaming about this same dragon for years now; whenever I sleep.” 

He doesn’t answer, but you don’t exactly expect him to. It’s weird standing here with him like this. If you close your eyes it wouldn’t be hard to fool yourself into thinking that you’re back at his house five years ago. It’s comforting and unsettling all at the same time. Right now there isn’t anywhere in the world you’d rather be. And as nice as it is, it’s kind of frightening. Shouldn’t the one place you want to be right now is curled up in bed with Aaron snuggling? But it isn’t and you’re not. Instead here you are watching the rain fall in the middle of the night alone with Vergil. 

“I won’t ask why you didn’t tell me that you knew why the protector’s bracelet went all crazy; I’m more than sure you had a good reason for keeping that hidden.” You glance up at him out of the corner of your eye. While you know that he’s listening to every word you speak his gaze is unmoving from the grey world outside. “But I get the feeling that there’s more to you returning than just the bracelet. I’m not the same person I was back then five years ago. I’ve picked up on a few small things that you and Gilver had said every now and then. I know that something more is going on than just this bracelet. You said that you were a danger to me. You meant that because of your devil is trying to kill me through the bracelet didn’t you?” 

“And how exactly did you come up with that conclusion?” Vergil’s tone is challenging; as if he’s getting ready to tell you all the reasons why you’re wrong. 

“Because,” You turn and smile at him knowingly. “I know you well enough to know that if you were a threat to me and wanted me dead then I would have long since been dead by now.” 

“Hmph.” Although he doesn’t show it, you can see the smirk in his eyes when he glances down at you. 

Turning your attention back out the window your smile only grows. “I may not know what’s going on but I’m not blind. I went five years without so much as a single demons turning up in my life. Then, in the course of one day, I’m attacked by demons, the bracelet goes crazy, Gilver kidnaps me and crashes his car running from even more demons and then you turn up. Even I know that that’s a little fishy. Whatever is going on, I don’t expect you or Gilver to tell me, but all the same I want to ask. If I’m going to be dragged into some sort of life threatening mess dealing with demons then I’d rather have some sort of idea of what I’m dealing with.” That’s it, you’ve said your peace and now it’s up to him to decide if he wants to enlighten you or continue to keep you in the dark. If he does choose to tell you, you know Vergil won’t sugarcoat it. He’ll tell you straight out what is up and right now that’s what you want. 

“A year ago I came across an ancient demon text; if you recall the book that we had obtained from that mansion five years ago. During that time I had thought it contained the location of seals I needed to unlock in order to summon Temen-ni-gru.” 

“Was that the big evil tower thingy Dante had told me about?” You question. 

“Correct. However, it seems Arkham deceived me. The text actually contained a prophecy and a way to gain great demonic power. It tells of one who is cursed and that if slain by a devil, supposedly that devil would gain power that could rival even Sparda’s. While only a handful of devils know of this prophecy, those that do seek to gain that power.” 

“And this has to do with me?” You raise a brow. 

Although no sound leaves Vergil’s lips the look in his eyes as he glances over at you tells it all. His wordless reply speaks volumes. 

You can feel you’re heart all but stop and you remind yourself to breath. “Since when?” 

“You’re birth.” His gaze returns to the window. 

“Why now? I didn’t have a single run in with a demon until the night my dad died.” 

“As I said, there are very few who know of it. It is written in an ancient text which has been kept out of the reach of demons for centuries. The few that knew of it without the text either failed to locate you or dismissed the legend as nothing but myth.” 

“And now a bunch of demons found the book and are after me, believing that if they kill me they’ll somehow become all powerful.” You piece the rest together. The silence in the building allows you to soak in the meaning of this knowledge. You’re cursed? You’ve _been_ cursed? This whole time; you’re whole life? Why you? Out of the millions of people in the world, why little old you? Panic starts to set in and you can feel your heart jump. “Am I going to die Vergil?” 

Vergil turns to face you; his pale blue eyes bear into your own. As you gaze into them you can feel yourself calm down, if only a little. Something about those eyes makes you feel safe; like no matter what happens you’ll be okay. In that way, those eyes speak volumes more than any words he could have said. That’s why he returned. Not necessarily to stop the bracelet, but to fight a lifelong curse that you didn’t even know you had.


	32. A Man of Many Faces

Fate   
Chapter 32: A Man of Many Faces

_“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” -Kahlil Gibran_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“I was curious if you were going to tell her of the curse or not.” 

You jump from the sudden voice behind you. Quickly spinning around on your feet, your eyes stop on Gilver who stands between you and the stairs. Vergil is unmoving, not caring enough to so much as acknowledge Gilver’s presence in the room. 

“Wait, you knew of this curse thing to?” You question. 

“I have.” Gilver admits, his gaze holding steadily on you. His eyes always changed when looking at you. You can’t put your finger on the right words to describe it though. His gaze is softer and gentler; almost loving in a way. Yet it’s always shrouded in a layer of sorrow which he attempts to cover up and hide behind sharp, soul piercing eyes. 

“So both of you knew about this for a long time and yet neither of you thought to perhaps enlighten me sooner?” Your agitation can not only be heard in your tone but can be seen on your face as your brows draw together and a frown paints your lips. 

“It had never been problematic until recently. Until that book the two of you found fell in the hands of a powerful devil.” Gilver explains. 

So the whole reason you’re listed as number one on the demon hit list is because of something you did five years ago? If you and Vergil had never gone to that creepy mansion; if you had never went off and found that book in that desk and gave it to Vergil then you would still be living the same life you have been for five years? A knot ties itself in your stomach. You might as well of signed your own death wish. You can picture it now, ‘Dear demons come and kill me because I’m an ignorant airhead that knows nothing about nothing. Will even give you crazy power upon my death; with love, idiotic human girl.’ 

Yet, despite the sickening feeling in your gut for getting yourself into this mess to start with, there’s something else there as well. A part of you, bigger than you want to admit, is happy that the book was found and that things have turned out as they did. It takes you a moment to realize that the reason for this twisted happiness is because of him. Vergil had come back to you because of the curse and demons after your life. You hadn’t realized how much you truly missed the cold hearted bastard until that moment at the park when he took off that mask. You remember how it felt like your heart stopped and tried to beat out of your chest all at the same time. If there is a silver lining in this mess, then it’s Vergil. 

“So what’s our next move? Go after this devil? We don’t really know where or who he is though. Besides, won’t the bracelet become a bigger issue if we do? I mean, he’s thrown this many of his demons at us and I doubt there’s going to be a shortage of them. I’m not doubting either of your abilities but won’t fighting a horde of demons, this devil _and_ keeping Vergil’s devil from slicing me in two with the bracelet all be a little much at the same time?” 

“She.” Gilver says. 

“Huh?” You raise a brow confused. 

“The devil that possesses the book and seeks to end your life is female.” Gilver corrects. 

“Her name is Lorelei.” Vergil speaks up but still does not move his gaze from outside the dark window. “She was once one of Mundus’ trusted generals. After his defeat she sought to take his place and rule over the demon world unchallenged. In her rise to power she assumed much of that which previously was under Mundus’ control, including countless demons.” 

There they go again not telling you things unless they deem it absolutely necessary for you to know. You do your best to bite back your frustrated anger. Then again, what where they supposed to do? You can’t really see Vergil showing up out of the blue and say ‘My devil is trying to kill you through the bracelet I gave you five years ago with the intent to protect your sorry butt. Oh by the way, you have this whole life long curse thing going on. And remember that book we got way back then? Surprise! It goes into detail about the curse and this powerful devil bitch has it and seeks to gain control over the demon world with power; power that she can easily get from your curse by killing you. Ps, I’m not dead’ 

Instead of putting all of this on you at once they gave you a little time to absorb and accept everything in bite sized pieces. At least that’s what you’re going with because it’s so much nicer to believe that rather then they’re both just _really_ big assholes. You like to think that after everything the two of you have been through, that you’re past the stage where Vergil’s an ass to you without a really damn good reason. 

“So…what? Are we going to go after Lorelei? Cause this brings me back to the whole bracelet, demon horde issue I brought up before we started our gender debate.” 

“I shall escort you to a safe house. Then I’ll confront and deal with Lorelei.” Gilver states, no doubt that was his plan from the beginning when he took you from the hospital. “Son of Sparda, you are not needed.” 

Vergil finally turns on his feet at face Gilver. His pale blue eyes are not the same ones he gazed at you with only minutes ago when it was just the two of you. No, his glare is cold, sharp, and commanding; daring any who enter its sight to challenge him. 

“She stays with me. It is you who is unneeded scum.” Though his face is unreadable, and the glare he’s shooting Gilver is like staring into the eyes of death itself, it’s Vergil’s tone that frightens you. In all of the time you have spent with him, never have you heard him sound so…so…what words can accurately describe such a thing? Terrifying? Spine-chilling? Unnerving? All the words you can think of only seem to be putting it lightly. Even if it’s not directed towards you, you can feel your body wanting to tremble and goose bumps rise to the surface of your skin. It’s only when your lungs start to complain that you realize that you have been holding your breath. You fight the urge of your legs wanting to give out beneath you. Never have you been more horrified of Vergil then you are right now. 

Despite everything, Gilver seems unimpressed by Vergil’s threat. Wither he truly is no intimidated or if he’s just really good at hiding it is something up for debate. “You may have her fooled Son of Sparda, but I can see right through to your true intent. You are known throughout the demon world for being power hungry. You have gained this girl’s trust, now you wait to end her life to gain power that rivals your father’s.” 

“Just as you are a coward hiding behind a fake identity.” 

Despite the lingering fear, you know you have to do something. If these two go at it here and now then Delia will be more then displeased when her store and home are nothing more than a pile of rubble in the morning. So you do the first thing that comes to your mind. You try to change the tense atmosphere with a question. After all the only time the two of them seem to stand each other at least a little is when they’re enlightening you. So you ask. 

“What do you mean by a fake identity?” 

Vergil leaves your side and moves past Gilver to the steps. You assume he’s leaving it to Gilver to explain but pauses at the base of the stairs. “Long ago when I had need to conceal my identity I used the name ‘Gilver’. I also dressed in a suit and hid my face with bandages.” Without any further explanation or interest, Vergil ascends the stairs and disappears into the dark upstairs hallway without a single sound. 

Neither you nor Gilver speak and the darkened room fills with a deafening silence. Minute after minute ticks by as the two of you stare at each other. You want to know and he is reluctant to tell you. Finally he breaths a deep audible sigh, walks over to the chair Delia had instructed you to when you first arrived, and sits down as if bracing himself of sorts. 

Reaching up with a hand, Gilver slowly unwraps the bandages concealing his face. Little by little the man beneath is revealed. Black wavy hair flows down framing his face and comes to a stop resting on his shoulders. His skin is pale, almost sickly white which strongly contrasts with his dark hair. His face, although very handsome, is littered with scars all over. Some are faint and small, barely visible unless you really look. Others are large and promenade, spanning the length of his face. What catches and keeps your gaze however, are his eyes. Unlike their normal, everyday, previous appearance they have changed. When exactly, you didn’t notice, to focused on the removal of bandages. His eyes are cat-like, golden yellow and seem to glow slightly in the darkness of the room. 

“Y-you’re a demon?” You’re more surprised than you are scared. 

“No.” He states quietly. “Those werewolves you previously spoke of. Long ago, they were my family. I am one of them.” 

“You’re a…” You try to process what he’s telling you. 

“Yes.” He quickly answers your unfinished question as if he doesn’t want to hear in the open air what he is. 

“Then…” Realization hits you like a truck or perhaps a train. “I’m so sorry. Your family…they’re…because of me…” Sure they tried to kill you with poison and betray Vergil, but in after all this time looking back, they were hurting for the death of that little girl. She didn’t have to die, but did because you made a mistake. Sure kidnapping and poisoning you was crazy and ended up only leading to their death at the hands of Vergil, but deep in the twisted darkness of their reasoning, you can kind of see their point of view. 

“You needn’t apologize. I separated myself from them long ago.” 

“Even still, they were your family once.” You frown. 

“I admit I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. However, I have experienced far greater pain then the loss of them.” 

“If you’re name isn’t Gilver, then what is it? Why would a werewolf be interested in helping someone who killed their family?” 

“You wish to know.” It’s not a question, more that he saw this coming. “Very well, it is only fair that you of all people hear the truth. My name is Zaide.”


	33. Zaide

Fate  
Chapter 33: Zaide

_“That’s why I’m fine being her servant. As long as I can be by her side.” –Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Years ago I was just like the rest of my family. My only care was about impressing the other pack members and expanding our territory. Humans were nothing but weak, boring, predictable creatures and I was the proud son of Kodak and was to become the next leader once he came to age and I became worthy enough. I was so foolish back then. I held no respect for anything, not humans, demons, not even the stray animals that would find my fangs when I grew bored. 

One night I had gotten into an argument with my father. I thought I was ready to take over his place. He thought otherwise. We ended up in a fight that came to an end with him the victor and me with a few minor injuries. Angered by my defeat I had left and wondered off into the city. The air stunk of smog and the people who dwelled in such a decaying place matched it. A darkness had consumed not only the city but its residence as well. It was a place of no light. 

I was on the prowl for a victim; I didn’t care who. I was just humiliated in front of my whole family. I had to regain my honor, regain my confidence; prove to my father that I was ready. As I walked down one of the countless streets I passed by a woman. She was plain, like all humans; nothing special. I passed her by without so much as a glance. 

“Excuse me, sir!” A voice called out. I pause, curious. Looking behind me, the voice belonged to the girl. 

“Umm…” She hesitated. 

“What?!” I snapped not in the mood. 

She didn’t flinch. “It’s just that, your face, it’s bleeding.” She frowned as she approached. Her hand reached into one of the pockets on her coat and pulled out a handkerchief. 

“Here.” She offered it to me with a small smile. 

“I don’t need your pity.” I slapped her hand sending the soft white cloth flying into the muddy street. She opened her mouth, to yell at me from the look on her face, but I turned and continued on my way before she could get a single word out. 

The encounter had only fueled my previous anger. She pitied me, thought I was nothing but a pathetic pup just like the rest of the pack. At least, that’s what I convinced myself. It frustrated me. Why couldn’t she have been like every other human in this damn city? Why couldn’t she of just kept walking, ignoring all else around her; only care for her own wellbeing? I pissed me off. But then a thought entered my mind and a vicious grin spread on my lips. I had just found the perfect prey. 

Concealing myself in the dark shadows, I turned around and started my hunt. She was fairly easy to find; humans tend to move slowly on foot and she had a unique scent about her. She smelled of the wind, not the smoggy air that polluted the city. I watched her as she moved throughout the decaying streets. Unseen, I followed and waited for the perfect moment to strike. To take my kill and watch her life end by my own hands. 

I silently shadow her when she ventures down a dark alleyway. Though she thinks she’s taking a shortcut to whatever her destination is, she just unknowingly walked in her grave. I allow my feet to shift some trash at my feet to alert her that she is not alone. 

She swiftly turns around, eyes scanning the shadows but no seeing my hidden within them. “Hello?” She calls out. 

Oh how easy it will be to break her thin neck. To tear into her flesh and to paint the ground red with her blood. I can feel my adrenaline rush through my veins; my eyes remain locked onto her fragile form. I can feel my body change, shift into that of a large wolf. My vision becomes sharper; piercing the dark like butter. My nose picks up every small scent in the air; the smell of wind on her intensifies. My ears are graced with the sound of her heart beating in her chest. 

With a hungry growl I emerge from the shadows; eager to watch horror spread upon her face before I move in for the final kill. I bet she doesn’t pity me now. However, her reaction is not one I expect. The sound of her heart doesn’t increase. Her scent isn’t one of fear. Her eyes aren’t clouded over with dread. She is surprised, but not frightened. Her body relaxes and she gazes at me with the curiosity of a child; a small, barely there, smile on her lips. 

A sudden crash echoes from the opposite side of the enclosed alleyway that draws both of our attention down into the thick darkness. I recognize this smell and a territorial growl escapes me as my eyes narrow. The large red glow of demonic eyes stares at the woman angrily. 

The attack isn’t drawn out; instead it happens within a millisecond. One moment, the demon is cloaked in shadow and the next its claws dig into my chest and sends me flying against a nearby wall like I’m nothing but a toy. With me out of the way it turns around to lock its fiery gaze upon the woman who was to be _my_ victim. 

Still there is no fear in her clear gaze as she stares down the large demonic monster. She is calm. Before the demon can lunge at her and steal her life she pulls out a gun that was previously hidden beneath her coat and fires it. Shots echo through the alleyway and out into the city night. In the next moment, the demon falls to the ground in a pool of its own dark blood; lifeless. It seems this human is not as defenseless as I had thought. 

The girl then turns to me; her eyes lose the sharpness they once held. A frown spreads upon her lips and she secures her gun safely back within her coat. Without any hesitation, she approaches and comes to stop before me. She kneels down beside me and reaches out to the bleeding gashes that the demon had left on me. 

“You’re hurt.” What is wrong with this human? It’s clear now what I am. She should be afraid, screaming and calling me a monster. If that demon had not interfered then her cold corpse would be between my fangs right now. Instead she rushed over without a second thought; concerned for my wellbeing. Weird human girl. 

“Leave me.” I snarl and pull away. I struggle to my feel, however my legs don’t seem to cooperate and give out. I expect to hit the ground but instead I feel arms wrap around me, bracing me up until I can gain my balance. Following the surprisingly strong arms to their source I find myself staring into the girl’s worried face. 

“I’ll leave you alone when I damn well feel like it.” She scolds. “Now, hold still for a minute like a good boy.” 

I growl annoyed. How dare she, a human, speak that way to me. If she only knew who I was. If she only knew she spoke to the son of Kodlak, the heir to the great pack. 

“Growl all you want but I’m still going to help you so you’ll just have to deal with it.” Her tone is one would use when scolding a fussy child. Giving in, I allow her tiny hands probe and carefully examine the three large gashes on my chest. 

“They don’t seem too bad. If you were human I’d suggest going to a hospital, but you’re not exactly human. I don’t know about werewolves, first time meeting one, but you should be okay in a few days so long as you allow it to heal properly.” She backs away, finally giving me the space I desired. 

“Why do you care?” I sneer. “If that demon hadn’t shown up then you would be dead by my hands.” 

Her face becomes dumbfounded. “Why wouldn’t I care?” 

I can feel my breath catch in my throat with surprise. That defiantly wasn’t the answer I thought to hear. 

“Sure, if it wasn’t for that demon then maybe you _would_ have killed me. But then again perhaps you wouldn’t have. Who’s to say how things would have turned out? But what did happen was that the demon _did_ find me and you happened to be there and got hurt because of it. And now here we are having this discussion with me still alive and well.” Her lips turn up in a wide smile that seems to now only brighten her face but the area around her as well. My heart skips a beat as my eyes take her in. Never before has there ever been anything other than darkness and hate in this foul city. But there, standing before me, this average, plain, human girl seems to be the only light in this putrid place. Like an angel shining brightly admits the deepest darkness of hell. 

“Besides, the demon was after me so I feel like the fact that you got hurt was kind of my fault.” She adds. 

“Why was it after you exactly?” While my voice is still rough I can no longer find the harshness it had moments ago. Like her pureness melted it away altogether. 

“It’s a secret.” She holds a finger to her still smiling lips. “So, do you have a name or am I going to just have to call you ‘Mr. Werewolf Guy’?” 

I scuff at the disgracing name but am not as offended by it as I would have been with my first encounter with the girl. “You may call me Zaide.” 

“Zaide huh?” She stares up at me for a moment before resuming her smile. “Nice to meet you.” 

Years went by since that fateful meeting and my friendship grew with the girl. She became important to me; more so then even some of my pack members. I no longer cared about becoming pack leader or impressing the other members. My only care, my only thought was her, my light. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“You loved her…” You whisper in realization. 

“Yes.” Zaide’s voice is strained and he tenses in his seat. 

“What happened?” You gently press. 

“Time went by. She fell in love with a human man and settled down as much as she could. I looked after her and her love from the shadows. I killed any who sought to tear apart her happiness. I watched her swear her love to him and marry him. I watched her happiness grow with him. I watched as she brought his child into the world all the while I kept my presence unknown to her.” Zaide explains softly. His eyes are distant as he stares at his hands in his lap. Looking but not seeing. 

“How?” You can feel tears swell up in your eyes and threaten to fall. “How could you just look after her like that while she lived her life with him? She didn’t even know you were there that whole time; all those years?” 

“I was able to deal with the pain of watching them together only because I loved her; because I loved her enough to give her happiness with another rather than trading her happiness for my own. These scars I bare, each was received protecting them, protecting her, from a demon, a threat, they didn’t even know was there.” 

Your footsteps break the silence in Delia’s shop. Coming to a stop, you stand before Zaide. “What happened to her?” 

Zaide tenses in his chair and refuses to look up at you. His voice strong but strained. “She died. One night, the night I wasn’t there, there was an attack. Demons were summoned and sent to her to retrieve and artifact that she mistakenly possessed. They were sent by a pitiful human that wished nothing more than to gain power from whatever means necessary. She fought them off bravely with the knowledge that her husband and child were safe and not at the house. They killed her, stole the artifact and set the house a blaze. I was never able to track down and kill the greedy human who had sent them to her.” 

“…Zaide…I…” Tears now fall in heavy streams down your cheeks. 

He looks up at your sorrowful eyes and stands with a frown on his lips. Reaching up with his hand he gently brushes away the tears from your face. His hand lingers as his eyes bare into your own intently. There is a deeper sadness in his eyes then you could ever hope to comprehend and your heart aches at the sight of it. 

“You have her eyes.”


	34. Past Demons

Fate  
Chapter 34: Past Demons

_“If I got rid of my demons I'd lose my angels.” –Tennessee Williams_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Mom…” Realization hits you like brick thrown by a kid. The woman whom he fell in love with was your mom. Your knees shake with the knowledge. Zaide tried to kill her, but in the end he fell in love with her. But…despite how close they were she never fell for him. Instead she fell in love with your dad. And the whole time growing up, demons would have attacked and possibly killed you and your parents if Zaide hadn’t been there playing guardian angel despite the pain he must have felt in his heart at seeing your mom with your dad. 

A thought then crosses your mind that makes your very skin cool. “Zaide, you said that demons were the ones who killed my mom and burned our house down. But…the police investigated and the blame was placed on some low life thugs. The police investigated and said that the evidence…” Your words trail off while your mind races. 

“They know not of the real world around them that they live in. They think there are no such things as demons and so their minds came up with the only logical alternative. Her death was unusual to them. There had been a shady group of low lives that had been seen and reported harassing people in the area, so the blame was cast onto them.” 

“This whole time?” Fresh tears now litter your face. All these years you’ve lived in fear of such low lives thinking that they were to blame for tearing your mom from you fifteen years ago but the truth is that it was demons to blame all along. They not only stole your dad from you five years ago, but your mom as well? And now, there’s Lorelei, a devil, seeking to kill you yourself. 

All of those times you’ve encountered demons; who’s to say that one of them wasn’t the one who took your mom from you? Has there ever been a time that demons weren’t trying to destroy your life? Even before you were born they tried to kill your mom. They might have killed you when you were a baby if Zaide wasn’t ever watchful. You may have only known about demons for five years, but it seems they have always known about you. The only, slightest comfort you can find is in knowing that the demon that killed your dad is dead. Vergil had killed it that night long ago. But even then demons seem to rule your life. Even Vergil himself is part devil. 

Vergil is half devil. That thought makes your blood run cold. Arkham had told you long ago about Vergil’s heritage and you had accepted it fairly easily given your situation back then. But now, knowing that changes things; knowing that he is part of the thing that has torn your life open and apart sends a ping of fear through you. You don’t want to be afraid of Vergil, but who’s to say that he won’t turn out to be like all the other demons and devils that have stormed their way into your life? 

After all, even Zaide had said that Vergil cares for nothing but power. And with the curse in you all he has to do is kill you to gain the power he seems to have been seeking for a long time. You had first thought that Zaide was the one who couldn’t be trusted. That he just didn’t know Vergil the same way you had come to trust him. But now, hearing Zaide’s story, what if it’s the other way around? If Zaide really loved your mom as much as he says he did then you can trust him. After all he kept the demons away growing up. Vergil though, he’s half devil. Half of the thing that has destroyed your life. After all they’ve proven themselves to be, can you truly trust a devil? 

“Zaide,” You start. “Why was that demon after my mom when you had met?” 

“She had eventually told me about the reason why that demon was after her that night in the alleyway, why she was prepared for it and why it was a secret. She told me of a dark curse she was born with; one that ran deep in her family. 

Long ago, during the time of the Demon Wars when the great devil Sparda rebelled to save the humans it happened. Just before the demon world was sealed off from the human a powerful, proud devil sought a way to return to the human world. This way, he could take his vengeance upon Sparda by destroying the world the Dark Knight seemed to treasure. To do so, the devil decided to seal his power within a vessel; which ended up being a human girl. 

She was young, no older then eleven perhaps and was innocent to most of the world around her. Sure she knew enough to know that demons were bad, she had witnessed them kill enough people. The devil didn’t choose her as his vessel for his power for any particular reason. She was average, not possessing any unique qualities. Really the devil only chose her to seal his powers within was because he was running out of time and Sparda was sealing the worlds off from one another. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

A few lingering demons had discovered the girl and the power she possessed. They realized that they could take the demonic power sealed within her if they could manage to kill her. Despite all odds however, the girl survived. She lived and grew, and one the day she gave birth to her first daughter, the demonic power that had become a curse to her, had transpierced to the child; no longer lingering in the mother. This cycle continued for many years. Generation after generation the first born daughters fought with demons for the right to continue to live. And by some miracle, they had lived. The curse continued until, years later, it dwelled within a particular girl. She, like her ancestor, was plain and average for a human. However, one night, the night of our encounter in a dark alleyway when a demon sought to kill her, that night she changed my life forever.” 

“So the power the devil sealed inside my ancestor, the curse, my mom once bore it before passing it to me at birth.” 

“Correct.” Zaide answers. 

“Then this artifact that the demons were after? That they killed my mom over? What was it?” You ask. 

“Seeking a way to end the curse for your sake, she sought out an ancient demon text that goes into detail about the curse, the same text that Lorelei now possesses. She indeed found an ancient demon text however, unknown to her, it was the wrong one. The one she discovered told of the seven seals of Temen-ni-gru and how to summon the tower gateway to the demon world. This is what the demons that killed her sought out for whoever had summoned them. That book is why she’s dead.” Zaide explains. 

“Temen-ni-gru?” Your eyes widen with acknowledgment. “I think I’ve seen that book. Arkham had a large, old book written in some strange language I’ve never seen before.” 

“Arkham?” Zaide raises a concerned brow. 

You nod. “He was working with Vergil before the demon tower appeared. I’m not sure exactly what they were doing though. He and Vergil would always disappear. I don’t know for sure since I only overheard half the conversation when I was sick but I think Arkham was also the one who sent Vergil and I to find the book about the curse that Lorelei now has.” 

“If this Arkham could read the text and was seeking Sparda’s power though Temen-ni-gru then I wouldn’t be surprised if he caught wind of this curse and sought it out as a Plan B. You’re simply lucky that he didn’t come to discover that you were under his noise the whole time.” Zaide frowns. “Do you know where he is?” 

You shake your head. “No, after Vergil gave him the book was the last time I saw him. Perhaps Vergil knows, though I doubt now is a good time to ask.” 

A clock sounding on a nearby wall echoes thought he dark room. “It’s late, you need rest.” 

You want to protest; you have too much to think about, too talk about, but are silenced from doing so by a yawn. Okay, perhaps Zaide is right. You do need to get some sleep. You offer him a grateful smile and nod. “Goodnight.” 

He silently returns the nod, watching you climb the steps. You are carful to open the door to your temporary room. Aaron is still sound asleep and you would rather not wake him up. Creeping over to the bed, you slide beneath the sheets and allow your eyes to close. Sleep finds you faster than you would have thought. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Wake up.” A quiet, soft voice rouses you from your sleep. 

Opening your eyes you are met with the pale blue of Vergil’s sharp orbs staring down at you. With a barely audible groan you sit up. It’s still dark outside but you doubt it’ll remain that way for much longer before the sun rises. Aaron is still curled up on the other side of the bed asleep. You give Vergil a questioning look. 

“Come.” Though it’s a command, his voice remains soft. Clearly he doesn’t want to wake up Aaron and you find you are completely fine with that. 

Without another word you slide your legs off the bed, feet hitting the floor. You pull your shoes on and silently follow Vergil out into the hallway making sure to close the door behind you. You shadow him down the stairs into the shop area where last night’s unexpected late meeting took place. You let Vergil lead you into the shop area where you had first entered the building and out the door onto the quiet streets. 

“Where are we going?” You question. Why didn’t he let you wake Aaron if you’re leaving? What about Zaide? Surely he would want to accompany you since he doesn’t trust Vergil; and in truth, after last night’s talk with Zaide you’re starting to doubt your trust of the blue eyed devil. Is he taking you away so that he can track down Lorelei or is he leading you away from Zaide so that he can kill you and gain the power from the curse without interference? 

Vergil doesn’t give you an answer and you are forced to walk in silence and stare at the tail of his coat. A frown draws on your face and a ping of worry and panic starts to set in the further he wordlessly leads you away from the safety of Delia’s shop. Is he really leading you to your death? Zaide had said that Vergil would do almost anything to gain power. Was that why he did everything he did with Arkham five years ago? 

That tower thing they summoned, Zaide had said that it could somehow give them the power that Sparda once possessed. Was that Vergil’s plan all along way back then? The thought sends an ache through your heart. You’ve read the reports through news as well as what you were told from Dante. That tower and all the demons that were set loose in the area around it had not only pretty much destroyed the whole city but ended the lives of most of the countless people that had lived there. 

You have seen Vergil kill before, though they had always just been demons or other monsters; never humans. Even if he hadn’t directly killed them, the blood of all of those that died from the tower and demons five years ago is on his and Arkham’s hands. How could anyone do such a thing knowing that so many would die? And for what? Power? The whole time you were with him five years ago you had thought you had figured him out; at least a little bit. But now, you can’t help but to wonder if you were horribly wrong. With each step you take behind him, you start to see less human and more devil in Vergil.


	35. Honorable

Fate   
Chapter 35: Honorable

_“Who better to protect you from the monsters than a monster?” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You follow Vergil around the corner into what you think is an alleyway. Looking up past him, you are met with an unexpected sight. Lite up in bright red neon above a door is a sign that illuminates the dim alley that dead-ends into it. 

“Devil May Cry?” It’s not so much a question as it is you simply vocalizing your curiosity. A place named like that, you are almost certain where you are and who you’re about to see. You walk through the beaten up front door and are greeted with music playing from a nearby jukebox that sits in a corner to your right. To the left are a pool table and a set of stairs that leads up to a small balcony and door. 

When Vergil moves out of the way you find that on the far side of the room rests a large desk that’s just as beaten up as the front doors. On either side are worn wooden doors that leads to who knows where. What has your attention however is the figure dressed in bright red sitting behind the desk. Dante sits back in a weathered wooden chair, feet propped up on his desk and eyes close. 

“Are those customers?” A little blonde haired girl dressed in a frilly pink dress emerges from the door right of Dante with a bright smile. “Welco-“ Her words come to a halt when her eyes find Vergil. You can see the confusion dance across her bright blue eyes as her brows scrunch together. 

The girls’ sudden lack of words gains enough of Dante’s interest that he opens one of his baby blues. You watch his body tense only for a second before relaxing once more. “Shit.” He curses and his feet fall from the desk and hit the floor boards with a thud; his full attention on his twin. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead or something? What happened- wait don’t tell me, you were such a prick they got tired of you and sent you back? You never did have good people skills V.” 

Vergil glances down at the girl, whose gaze is still fixed on him, before he returns his icy stare back to Dante. “Babysitting? It suites you.” 

The girl’s curios gaze changes to one of annoyance as she puffs her cheeks out. “Hey! I’m not a kid! Besides if anyone is doing any babysitting then it’s me. If it wasn’t for me then the shop would be covered dirt and Dante wouldn’t have any jobs.” Anger vented her previous expression of wonder returns. “Who are you anyways? You look just like Dante.” 

“Patty don’t you have somewhere to be?” Dante says slightly annoyed at the girl’s questioning. “It’s time for the grownups to talk.” 

Patty turns to Dante pouting. “Nice try but you’re not getting rid of me that easily. You want me gone; you still owe me nine ice cream cones from when I creamed you at poker. So who is this guy Dante?” 

An irritated grunt of defeat escapes Dante. “My brother.” 

“Brother? I didn’t know you had a brother. You two look so much alike, you’re twins?” Patty looks between Dante and Vergil in wonder. 

“Pipe down now will ya?” Dante complains, his eyes once again locking onto his twin. “I doubt you came all this way just to say hi.” 

“I require Yamato.” Vergil says directly. 

“And what makes you think I have it?” Dante’s question is only answered by Vergil’s silent stare. The shop falls silent as the white haired twins stare each other down; having a wordless conversation with their eyes. Time seems to stop and everything falls still; nothing daring or brave enough to break the tense silence. 

Suddenly, without a word being spoken, Vergil moves. The action is so sudden you jump slightly from surprise. Without a single sound, like a ghost, Vergil heads to the stairs to the left and climbs them before disappearing through the door. With Vergil’s presence momentarily absent, the atmosphere quickly returns to one of relaxed ease. 

“What was that all about?” Patty mutters under her breath. 

“Nice to see you again babe.” Dante’s voice catches you by surprise and you tear your eyes way from the door Vergil vanished behind to rest on the red clad man whose eyes are now focused on you. 

You offer a smile. “I didn’t know you ran a business.” 

“Who are you?” Patty interrupts. She had been so focused on Vergil she’s only just now noticing you. 

“A friend.” You answer not wanting to go into the details. 

“I need to have a chit chat with her so time to beat it kid.” 

Despite clearly not wanting to leave, Patty finally gives in. “Fine, but you owe me for this.” She makes her way across the room pouting before leaving the shop through the front doors. 

As nice as the girl seemed, you’re happy she’s now gone. You’d rather have this conversation with Dante without anyone else present. You walk over to the front of his desk. “Hey, Dante, I wanted to ask you something about Vergil.” 

“Don’t really know what I can tell you about him that you don’t know already. At this point you probably know him better than anyone.” Dante once again leans back and props his feet back onto the desk. “But, I’ll give it a shot. What’s on your mind?” 

You bite your lip not really sure how to start. “Vergil is he… A lot has happened in the past few days and to give you the short story my life is in danger from this devil. If a demon kills me then they’ll gain a lot power. I want to believe that Vergil’s true to his word but I know how much he craves power. After all he allowed all those people to die when he and Arkham summoned that tower five years ago. A part of me wonders if he’ll do as he claims he will or if he will try to gain the power from ending my life. I guess my question is can I trust him?” 

Dante is quiet for a few moments considering your words. His eyes no longer hold the laidback look they had moments ago. Instead they are replaced by one of seriousness that reminds you of his twin. “V is a power hungry prick, no doubt there. He’s done a lot of bad shit and its cost him a lot that’s he’s too prideful to admit. But if there’s one thing the bastard is, it's honorable.” 

Honorable. You can feel a weight lift and glide off of your shoulders. You needed to hear that. Dante is right. You feel kind of silly that you didn’t find that answer on your own a long time ago. All you had to do was to look back on all that Vergil’s done for you when he didn’t have to. On numerous occasions he had come to your defense when Alice had threatened you. He had called you and warned you to run when Arkham had killed Kalina. When you were poisoned and sick, both times he didn’t abandon you despite how weak and pathetic you must have seemed to him. Instead he helped you. He did his best to bring your fever down and even killed Zaide’s pack. 

He had come back to protect and save you from both the bracelet as well as Lorelei; threats that you didn’t even know had set their gazes on you. He didn’t have to do any of that. But he did and that’s what matters. You feel like such an idiot for doubting him. If your past with Vergil has proven anything, it’s that Vergil’s true to his word, or he would not have bothered to speak them at all. If he says something, then he means it. 

“Thank you Dante.” You smile relieved. 

“If you really want to thank me then you’ll buy me a pizza.” His expression is quick to return to carefree. 

You laugh and are about to open your mouth to tell him that after the day you’ve been through buying him a pizza would be a nice change. However the front door opening and closing halts your words from being voiced. 

“I didn’t know you still got any customers these days.” A woman’s voice echoes and you can hear her footsteps draw close before coming to a stop next to you. 

You turn and find yourself looking at a heavily armed black haired woman. A sense of knowing washes over you yet you don’t know why. She seems familiar yet you know you’ve never met her before. 

“Just a friend that stopped by.” Dante explains before yawning. 

“I see,” She offers you a small smile before returning her attention to Dante. “I guess that means you don’t have my money.” 

“Well Lady, maybe if you actually paid me for the jobs you give me then I’d have something to pay you with.” Dante grumbles. 

“By the way have you seen Trish?” 

“She’s still playing undercover detective with that religious group, The Order or whatever.” 

Your eyes widen when your memory finally finds you. You know this woman. There is no doubt, it’s defiantly her. “Umm…” You hesitate but gain her attention. “By any chance is your name Marry?” 

The woman stares at you with red and blue eyes full of seriousness and curiosity. “My name is Lady. Long ago I went by that name however.” 

What do you say? That you knew her mom Kalina? That you had stayed in her house for a short time? That her dad’s a psychopath? “I don’t mean to offend or make this awkward or anything, but five years ago I was kind of in a tough spot and I ended up staying at your house for a short time. I remember seeing a picture of you. You’re mother, she was very kind.” 

She stares blankly at you before relaxing. “I see.” The upstairs door opening with Vergil’s return draws both yours and Lady’s attention. Her eyes are locked on Vergil as he descends the stairs. “How... Care to explain Dante?” 

“Not really.” 

You turn to Vergil and notice that in his hand he carries a sword; the large one he had carried on his back now gone. You know this sword. It’s the same one he had five years ago; Yamato if you remember correctly. His crystal blue eyes look to you before he starts towards the front door. 

“You with him?” Lady raises a brow at you. 

“It’s…complicated.” You admit. 

“Shit…” She curses before grabbing something from her belt. “If you’re involved with him then you’ll probably need this. It has enough kick to take out demons easily enough.” She hands you a black handgun in a leather holster as well as some extra ammo. “I’m guessing you’ve never used one before but it’s probably better if you take it with you if things get bad.” 

You hook the holster onto your belt and pocket the ammo. “Thank you Lady. If I get out of this in one piece then I’ll be sure to return it.” 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s yours. I’ll just have Dante buy me a new one.” Lady grins. You run after Vergil to follow him out the door. 

“V.” Dante calls just before Vergil steps outside the door, causing the blue devil to pause but Vergil doesn’t turn to look at Dante. You catch a glimpse of something shiny fly past you. You expect it to crash into the door but Vergil moves quickly and easily catches it over his shoulder. Vergil examines the object which turns out to be the red and gold amulet he once wore five years ago. 

“Belongs to a son of Sparda right?” Dante says. 

Without any acknowledgment Vergil continues out the door, you right on his tail. Once Devil May Cry is out of sight, Vergil slips the gold chain over his neck; the amulet once more resting against his chest.


	36. Into the Darkness

Fate   
Chapter 36: Into the Darkness

_“He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.” –Sherman Alexie_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You stare at the tail of the blue coat in front of you. You recognize the path he’s taking and realize that Vergil is guiding you back to Dalia’s shop. If all he wanted was to get his sword from Dante then why take you along? He could have easily just of left you in Delia’s shop to sleep under the protection of Zaide. You would have been safe and it’s not like Devil May Cry is overly far from Delia’s. In fact, if he went by himself then he would have been able to make the trip in half the time with how fast he moves. Is it that he doesn’t trust Zaide and thought that you wouldn’t be safe in Delia’s shop? 

A tiny part of you can’t help but to wonder if he brought you simply because he wanted to. Your heart flutters lightly and a ping of guilt fills you. You shouldn’t hope that he enjoys your presence as much as you enjoy his. You can’t afford to hope for that; thinking that way will only end up hurting you in the end. You are engaged to Aaron. He should be the one you want to be with. You should want to be in bed with him right now instead of running around with Vergil. In a month’s time you will be married. You will be Aaron’s wife. If not, then you’ll have died by Lorelei’s hand. Either way, Vergil will once more fade from your life and hoping for something that can never be, will only get you or even worse, get Aaron, horribly hurt. Besides, what are you to Vergil? A friend? When you had asked him if you were friends it ended with Yamato at your throat. Knowing Vergil, nothing has changed since. He’s not one to think that others are more than just dirt beneath him. 

As you walk you watch people drive by, in a rush to get to work on time. A mother drops her child off at school. An elderly couple is walking their small dog. A man walks into a coffee shop for some quick breakfast. They are all leading a normal life, one that you thought had escaped from your grasp when your dad was killed and you discovered the existence of demons. But, after you had left Vergil, you had found it again. Had found Aaron; with him you had found you way back to the beauty of a normal, demon free, life. The past five years have been so peaceful and enjoyable. Most think that a normal life is boring and wish for adventure. But after all you’ve been through; a normal life is a blessing. 

You are brought from your thoughts when Vergil slows his stride enough to allow you to walk beside him instead of behind. He makes no indication that he did it so for a reason. The protector’s bracelet isn’t warning you of a threat, so he couldn’t be preparing for an attack. He doesn’t say anything nor does he glance your way. You’re not entirely sure why, but the gesture, as small as it is, brings a smile to your lips. As long as you’ve known him you have always followed behind with him leading the way. The fact that he had let you follow behind him, especially when you had just met him, was an honor in itself coming from Vergil. 

But this, this is something different. Sure, chances are you’re reading too much into it, but then again perhaps you’re not. After all, Vergil isn’t about big, dramatic actions. For him, it’s all the small, subtle gestures that mean the most. Take this situation for example; before you had always walked behind him. You could easily see that for what it is. In an exaggerated metaphor: No one walks ahead of a king. But, those who are deemed worthy enough or seen as equals may be allowed to walk side by side with a king. 

Vergil maybe no king, but he has the pride and view of self-worth as one. To Vergil, all others are beneath him; both humans and demons. After all he is the proud son of the legendary dark knight Sparda. But if that’s true, if every single living being, including you, is dirt beneath his feet, then why allow this action? If you’re nothing then why did he come back? He could have gone on how he was and left Zaide to deal with the curse, and demons after you. He could have just disappeared from your life and let his devil kill you. 

Sure, he has honor, but honor doesn’t have to do with everything here. No; honor wouldn’t dictate that he view you of any worth. Yet the simple action of willingly walking next to you says otherwise. Perhaps it has less to do with honor and more to do with what he’s too prideful to say. A smile grows on your face as the realization of his actions comes to you. Simply by walking next to you, Vergil is telling you that he thinks you are worth something; that, to him, you matter. 

You can feel your heart beating faster with that knowledge. What you do next is so very foolish. You glance to your side to look up at Vergil. His bright white slicked back hair seems even whiter in the morning sun. His skin is pale but combined with is hair makes his blue eyes stand out that much more. You can’t help but wonder what it would be like to touch that skin on his handsome face. 

The next thing you know, those beautiful crystal eyes are gazing into your own. You have been caught staring and you can feel the blood pool in your cheeks tinting them pink. You don’t even realize that both of you are no longer walking; his hypnotic eyes distracting you and blocking out all else around you. A demon could be breathing over you ready to tear your head clean off your shoulders right now and you wouldn’t even notice. The space between the two of you seems to slowly melt. Had you been standing this close the whole time you were walking? 

His eyes never waver from your own and you can feel your breath catch in your throat. While he makes no move, neither does he turn away. He’s allowing you this moment to decide. Your hand almost aches wanting to reach out and touch his cheek. You want to lean in closer. You want to see if his lips are as soft as you believe they are. You want to know what those lips taste like. With your self-control hanging by a frayed thread, you want oh so badly to give in. 

“Vergil.” His name passes your lips in a whisper. 

You hold your breath and hesitantly your hand rises up to his face. A loud, thunderous crash echoes down the streets. The sound of screaming in the nearby distance halts your hand just before it reaches its desire. And like that, the moment is over. Vergil turns, alert in the direction the noise came from. Delia’s shop is only a few blocks away. 

“Come, quickly.” Vergil heads off with a brisk pace towards the root of the sound. 

You don’t need to be told twice. That scream, you know that voice; it was Aaron’s. The closer you and Vergil get to Delia’s; the sound of fighting grows from the chaos around. The shop comes into view and the first thing you notice is that both the front window and door have been crashed in. Claw marks are carved into the outer brick of the building and the store area inside is ruin. Shelves, tables and merchandise is scattered about, most broken and shattered. The marking the protectors bracelet had left on your wrist glow a bright blood red and it sends a sharp pain shooting up your arm. 

The sounds of crashes and the cling of metal resound from the back room where the late night meeting took place. You cautiously enter the room as your blood runs cold; a large demon with a jagged jaw, spiked spine, large curved horns and a set of six glowing red eyes that burn like hellfire is standing amidst the chaos facing off with Zaide. 

Something is off; this demon isn’t like the other weaklings. The bracelet marking, while glowing red, doesn’t activate and send it’s swords to attack the beast. Instead the pain it’s causing intensifies the longer you’re in the presence of this demon. Vergil had told you when he gave it to you five years ago that it would only work on lesser demons so the fact that it’s not activating proves your theory correct; this demon is no push over. Even Zaide, no longer in the form of a human, is having trouble holding his ground against the creature. 

A soft whimper manages to draw you attention away from the ceiling tall demon and Zaide. Scanning the room, you spot Aaron on the far side of the room cowering under a table looking like he’s about to have a heart attack. Instincts kick in and you start to move to him but a strong hand grabbing your arm holds you in place. 

“Don’t move.” Vergil warns. You want to argue, to break free from him and rush over to Aaron. However, Vergil is right. In order to reach Aaron you would have to run past Zaide and the demon which would only serve to put you in danger and in Zaide’s way. Right now, Aaron is out of the way for the most part and seems mostly unharmed aside from a few scrapes and cuts. 

The demon swings a large broad sword down onto Zaide. With his quick reflexes, Zaide is able to side step the blow and the sword crashes though the wooden floor sending splinters every which way. The demon lets out a pained grunt. Looking to the source you spot Vergil behind the creature, Yamato drawn and coated in the demon’s thick, foul smelling blood. 

“You’re in the way pup.” Vergil’s voice is cold. 

Zaide snarls at Vergil as they both dodge a spinning sword attack aimed at both of them. Zaide, gritting his teeth in frustration, back off towards you never taking his eyes off the enemy, letting Vergil handle the demon. It’s not until he is standing in front of you defensively that you notice just how badly injured Zaide is. His fur sticks to his skin, dyed darker with his blood. His breathing is heavy and you can see a large gash on his back where he must have been unable to avoid that heavy, powerful sword that the demon wields. 

The demon comes in with another mighty swing aimed at Vergil. Redirecting the blow away from him with his sheath, Vergil swiftly brings Yamato around and buries the blade halfway through the demons large arm. The grotesque smell of the demon’s blood as it sprays out of its half severed arm causes you to fight back a gag. With a roar, the creature spins, giving Vergil only but a second to dodge its spiked tail. Just as Vergil’s feet hit the ground the demon brings a clawed hand down upon him. With movement too quick for your eyes to catch, Vergil is blocking the blow with Yamato, its black slicing into the demon’s hand. The creature’s hand clamps down upon the blade despite causing it to cut deeper. The demon moves, seeing it’s opening and brings it’s sword down upon Vergil. 

A pained grunt leaves his lips as the large blade sinks its way into Vergil’s shoulder dying his blue coat dark red with his own blood. You feel your heart stop. Twisting Yamato’s blade, Vergil slices the demon’s hand off, freeing his sword from the demon’s grasp. The demon growls in pain. 

“Vergil!” You scream in warning. But you’re too late. The large blade impales itself through Vergil. Vergil grits his teeth, blood flowing from both his torso and his mouth. The demon lifts his sword into the air and Vergil along with it. Vergil’s hands grip the blade that’s pierced clean through him as he glares at the demon before him. The demon laughs at the sight of Vergil impaled upon it’s blade before swinging it, sending Vergil flying off the sword where he crashes through the window he stood in front of the previous night and out onto the streets.


	37. Lost Loves

Fate   
Chapter 37: Lost Loves

_“Lurking in the dark are ghosts of lovers lost.” –Seif114_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don’t even hear yourself crying out for Vergil, nor do you feel the tears racing down your face. You’re eyes are glued on the broken window glass and the large trail of blood leading from it to the demon whose attention is now focused on you. 

Zaide darts forward to take Vergil’s place in attacking the demon. But his wounds are deep and he’s lost a lot of blood. His movements are slowed. The demon bats him to the side with single hit from its powerful tail. Zaide crashes through the steps, causing splinters of wood to fly every which way, motionless. 

There is no longer anything between the demon and you. The pain from the protector’s bracelet is so strong you want to cry out in agony, but you don’t. You refuse to give the demon the satisfaction of hearing your pain. You hold your ground as it approaches. There is no point in attempting to run. It would easily catch you and there’s no way in hell you’re going to turn this into some sort of sick game of cat and mouse for its amusement. 

It impales the end of its sword into the ground inches from where you stand causing you to flinch. Its claws cut into your shoulder as it lifts you off the ground. You can feel the warmth of your blood run down your chest and back. You don’t look away however. No, you do as Vergil had and glare at it with your best pissed off look you can manage. Perhaps it’s all the time you’ve spent with Vergil but you refuse to let this thing see the pain it’s causing you. You refuse to let it see how scared you are. You may be just a weak human, but you’re not nobody. You are somebody and you’re going to make sure that this thing knows that. 

When the demon’s face is within range you kick, as hard as you can and manage to land a bow in its eye. It pulls you back out of range and growls fiercely at you. Refusing to let it unnerve you, you spit at its face. You feel a small sense of pride. You, a little tiny human was able to make a big demon like this cry out in pain and anger. Its grip on you tightens considerably causing a groan to leave you and you grit your teeth to stop from crying out in pain. Its hand on you continues to tighten and tighten. At this rate it’s going to shatter your shoulder bones. Suddenly the demon’s grip losses and it glances over its shoulder. From your position you are just able to make out what has caught its attention. 

“Let her go!” Standing at the far end of the room on shaky legs, is Aaron. He grabs one a book off the floor and throws it at the large demon. It may not have hurt the demonic creature, but after Aaron repeats the action, it’s enough to annoy it. 

“I-I said let her g-go!” Aaron stutters over his words. He’s completely terrified out of his mind. But despite that fear, he’s doing everything he can to try to help you. 

The demon tosses you against the wall. You hit the ground and clutch your bleeding shoulder biting back whimper. The demon frees its sword from the floor boards and makes its way towards a shaking Aaron. 

“Aaron, run away!” You cry out, but it’s no use. Aaron is frozen in place by fear. It’s like he doesn’t even hear you. You watch in horror as the demon stops before Aaron and raises its large sword still dripping with Vergil’s blood. The demon swings the heavy sword down. 

“Aaron!!!” Your scream is cut off halfway when the blade stops before it reaches its victim. Standing there between the demon and Aaron is Vergil. Yamato locked against the demon’s large sword Vergil holds his ground. 

“What the hell did you do to my shop?!” Delia yells as she climbs over the hole in the steps where Zaide had crashed through. 

“Get him out of here.” Vergil motions to Aaron. 

“And where do you expect me to take him? You kind of destroyed my shop.” Delia complains as she runs over behind Vergil and grabs Aaron’s arm. 

“Dante’s.” Vergil growls coldly. 

Delia pushes Aaron out the back door but pauses to look back at Vergil. “You owe me a new store son of Sparda.” She pouts before disappearing into the back alleyway. A sense of relief fills you. Aaron will be safe at Devil May Cry with Dante there. And with Delia’s stubbornness, you don’t have to worry about Dante kicking them out not wanting to get involved with Vergil’s affairs. 

With Aaron out of the way, Vergil is able to focus his full attention on facing the demon. Putting all of his strength behind his sword, Vergil pushes the demon back. The demon loses its balance and breaks away from Vergil before Vergil can take advantage. 

Your heart stops when you gaze at Vergil. He’s lost a lot of blood; blood that still runs freshly down his chest and onto the floor. His skin looks paler than normal and you can tell that the battle is wearing on him. 

Suddenly a blue light engulfs Vergil. Light blue electricity crackles around him. As the light recedes standing in his place is a devil. Fear rushes though you like a dam breaking. What happened? Where did this devil come from? Where did Vergil go? 

The devil has blue leathery skin, and a pitch black face, hands and feet. Its fingers and toes are tipped with black pointed claws that seem like they could easily cut down anything in their way. Its teeth are pointed and fang-like. The top of its head could perhaps resemble thick, silver rounded horns. However, the most intimidating feature of this fearsome monster is its eyes. The whites are glowing neon red with cat eye iris’ which are a lighter shade red. As you gaze into those soul-stealing eyes realization hits you. This devil _is_ Vergil. Vergil is just as much devil as he is human. Until now, you have only seen him as a human. This, you realize, must be what he looks like as a devil. 

Vergil releases an animalistic growl and vanishes. Vergil’s inhuman speed had always impressed you, but now, now it’s like he’s moving so fast he seems as if he’s just teleporting. Vergil slices at the demon with Yamato, moving so quickly, appearing as only a flash of blue if anything at all, that the demon cannot keep up and is quickly over powered. The demon falls to the floor lifeless without so much as a final cry. 

It’s over. A deep sigh leaves you and you stand; hand still clutched over your bleeding shoulder. Vergil stands motionless staring at the dead demon. You take a step towards him but freeze when his head snaps your direction to stare at you. You stop breathing. The look in those demonic red eyes is not one you have seen from him before. Not even when you had first met. You’ve seen those eyes; that look on demons. Every demon you have encountered so far has had those inhuman, deadly eyes. Those eyes only seek blood and death of any whom they gaze upon. Those eyes have no heart, no soul and certainly no conscious. Those are the eyes of an uncaring, blood thirsty devil. 

You don’t see him move. One moment he’s standing there, the next he’s before you. Before he can draw Yamato down upon you, he is shoved to the side, crashing into the wall next to the broken window. 

“His mind is not his own.” Zaide pants heavily in front of you. “There’s no time for me to explain. You must run and know that Vergil is no longer your ally but a great enemy to be feared. Now go!” 

Zaide lightly pushes you towards the door as Vergil recovers and glares at Zaide. Without a second thought you let your feet carry you into a full out sprint out of what’s left of Delia’s shop. You’re mind matching your racing legs. Why is Vergil suddenly attacking you and Zaide? You can pretty much figure it had something to do with his transformation into a devil. Could it be that in this more demonic form he has less control over his inner devil; the same inner devil that’s trying to kill you though the bracelet? 

Your feet carry you down and through a maze of streets. You don’t really see the point in running. Vergil was able to find you after five years and now in the form he’s in, he can move even faster. But, Zaide had told you to run, so you’ll run. You debate on going to Devil May Cry now that you know the way there. Dante is there and you know that if anyone can match Vergil, it’s him. But Aaron and Delia are also there. If you go there then you’ll just be putting them in danger again. Vergil told them to go there so they wouldn’t be in danger. If you lead him there then Vergil’s effort will have been for nothing. So, instead you run down the maze of alleys and streets. Taking sharp turns and running as fast as you can, never looking back. 

Noise catches your attention around the next corner and your heart freezes in your chest. You figured you’d be found, but you had hoped for at least a little more time. You decide to face your demons, instead of turning tail and fleeing. You slowly round the sharp corner that leads into a dark, narrow alley. Leading against the wall with one arm, is Zaide. 

He’s panting hard, is no longer in wolf form. Blood gushes out of his shoulder where his right arm had once been; now missing, cut off by Vergil. He keeps his left eye closed and you realize why when you rush over to him. A large gash runs over his left eye lid. Vergil had not only taken his arm, but his eye as well. 

“Zaide!” You move to wrap your arms around him to help support him but his legs give out, no longer having the strength to support himself. 

He sits on the trash littered ground with his back leaning against the wall that had previously supported him. “There’s not m-much time.” He chokes out, coughing up blood. 

Tears run down your face. “What happened? How could Vergil…” You don’t finish that sentence; you can’t, it hurts too much. 

“Listen to me.” He commands breathless. “Five years ago when he had summoned that tower, Vergil fell into hell, the demon world, in order to face a powerful devil lord called Mundus. He had hoped to defeat Mundus, like Sparda had, to prove he was just as powerful. Mundus had defeated Vergil. But instead of killing him, he had brainwashed and gained control over Vergil.” 

Zaide grunts in pain and you place your hands where his arm had been, applying pressure in an attempt to slow the bleeding. “A few years later, Dante had faced off against a devil who called itself Nelo Angelo. That devil had been Vergil, controlled by Mundus. Dante had defeated Nelo Angelo and even Mundus had thought Vergil dead. But it seems that he had survived. After Dante had defeated Mundus, Lorelei, Mundus’ general stepped up to take his place, as you know. She seized much, including some demons that had been under Mundus’ control.” 

“Including Vergil…” Your voice is a shaky whisper. 

“Yes.” Zaide nods. “I’m not sure how, but it seems that Vergil was able to break free from her control. Perhaps it was when he saw the book she possesses about the curse. Perhaps his will to stop her from killing you was strong enough to allow him to escape her grasp. His mind was his own, and Lorelei had no influence on him. But that changed when he devil triggered.” 

“Devil triggered?” You question. “You mean when he changed form?” 

“Correct.” Zaide’s voice grows weaker. “When he changed she was somehow able to regain control over him. Perhaps it’s because in this form he’s more devil than human; perhaps his devil seeking to kill you through the bracelet made it easier. I don’t know the details. What I do know is this is her doing. She won’t have him kill you. That would give him the power of the curse. She’ll have him take you to her so she can kill you herself. If you cannot find a way to kill her before she kills you, then she’ll gain the curse’s power.” 

“If I kill her will it free Vergil from her control?” 

“I assume as much, but I cannot guarantee the outcome.” Zaide admits. “You cannot underestimate her. She is powerful, powerful enough to control a son of Sparda. I only regret that I can’t help you further. I fear my time on this earth has come to an end.” 

Tears streak down your cheeks. “I’ll find some way to save you so don’t give me that and don’t you dare give up.” 

Zaide’s hand reaches up and gently brushes the stream of tears from your face. “You are so much like your mother.” He smiles. “With all the evil I have contributed to this world, I don’t think that I’ll be able to see her again.” 

You shake your head. “Don’t be silly, you’ll defiantly see her again. I know it.” 

Zaide’s smile grows before his eyes slowly close. His hand falls from your cheek and his life leaves him with one last breath.


	38. Xenophobia

Fate   
Chapter 38: Xenophobia

_“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe that lures his to evil ways.” -Buddha_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tears stream down your face and you sit there, unwilling to move. You know that if you don’t get going soon then Vergil will find you; even if you do run then he’ll find you. You can’t escape him. However if you at least make an attempt at escape then perhaps you can buy yourself enough time to come up with some sort of plan. Your eyes remain locked onto Zaide’s pale face. He’s done so much for you, you don’t just want to leave him here like this; left amidst trash and garbage in some dark alleyway to be forgotten. Zaide deserves so much better than this. 

You stand on your feet with a new found determination. You can’t do anything for him now, but once this is all over you _will_ come back for him and see to it that he has a proper resting place. In this moment, the best way to honor him is to make sure he didn’t die in vain and that means killing Lorelei. It’s no longer just about you. No, the devil bitch involved those you care most for. Zaide didn’t die by Vergil’s hand. Zaide was killed by Lorelei. 

Then there’s Vergil. You recall what Dante had told you. _‘He’s done a lot of bad shit and its cost him a lot that’s he’s too prideful to admit.’_ Those five years that you spent in blissful peace with Aaron. That whole time Vergil had spent it in hell, literally. He was defeated, humiliated, forced to forget his old life and all he knew. Mundus had forced him to fight Dante; forced him to try to kill Dante. But that wasn’t even the end of it. No, then Lorelei picked up Vergil’s leash once Mundus was dead and she put him through the same hell. You probably can’t even imagine what Vergil went through. 

You were once fearful and enraged at him for what he had done five years ago; summoning that tower, destroying that city, and indirectly killing the thousands of people that lived there. But now, that fear and anger seems to melt away. Vergil had paid for what he had done already. He paid for it for five years until he was finally able to break free from Lorelei’s grasp when he discovered that she had planned to kill you. 

You feel your heart skip a beat at the thought. Vergil is strong and powerful as he is, but all of that was taken from him when he was imprisoned for five years. If he hadn’t broken free sooner then he wasn’t able to. Vergil had been damned into the servitude of another; reduced to nothing. But knowing you were in danger, wanting to stop and protect you from your own fate to die; that gave him enough strength to break free. 

You can feel your cheeks turn red and your heart flutters as it fills with warmth. He couldn’t break free with his own will, but was able to from his sheer desire to save you. Vergil truly does care for you, you realize. He cares for you far more then you ever thought he could. 

Closing your eyes you recall the first time you had ever met the blue eyed devil. It was dark, and rainy, and you took a shortcut home after going to the store. You remember those thugs that you had run into. You remember how your blood ran cold, thinking at the time that such people were the cause of your mother’s death. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

_“Hey, check out the hot babe.”_

_“Little girls shouldn’t be out in the rain. What would your daddy say if he your dress got dirty.”_

_“Why not come with us and get out of the rain baby? We can have a LOT of ‘fun’ while we wait for the rain to stop.”_

_“Leave me alone.” Fear evident in your voice._

_“I ‘love’ the shy types.” One says while flashing you a slimy grin. Another grabs hold of your wrist, but you manage to break free, only to fall on your butt._

_‘Bad time to be clumsy!’ You mentally yell at yourself._

_Soft footsteps drawing closer quiets the thugs. All but two turn to see who their next victim will be; the other two keep their eyes on you like predators._

_“Hey…! Get a load’a this one!” The thug leader smirks as a white haired man dressed in a blue coat and carrying a katana like sword approaches. He too is drenched from the rain._

_“What, you get lost on the way to the runway, pretty boy?” One thug taunts. “Yeah, I’m talking to you, fruit loop!”_

_“Nice sword ya got there, bub.”_

_“Check it boys! Loser thinks he’s a real samurai!” The thugs block the man’s way._

_“Listen up, tough guy—this here’s OUR territory!” The leader speaks up. “You fond of breathin’ you pay the toll! This sword’ll do. We won’t kill ya…maybe we just cut you up a bit…” The leader reaches for the man’s sword but stops only inches from it when all of the fingers on his right hand are cut off and fall to the ground. Not even a second later, does his head and torso get cut in half. The rest of the thugs meat the same fate immediately after._

_The only clue you can find to explain what happened is the white haired man’s hand on the handle of the sheathed sword. ‘He was so fast I didn’t even see it!!’ Your mind is still trying to comprehend what just happened when the man starts to walk away._

_“W-wait!” You stand up on shaky knees. The man stops and turns to face you; his expression is cold, stony and indifferent. His eyes are filled with annoyance and anger. “Um, I wanted to thank you…” Your nerves are bundling up the more his cold ice blue eyes bare into yours._

_“If you assume I disposed of those weak fools for your sake, you are strongly mistaken. They simply stood between me and my goal so I disposed of them.” His voice is like a winters rain drowning you._

_“Even if that is the case, I still want to thank you. Please, May I know your name?”_

_“The likes of you do not deserve to know such information and unless you want to end up like those thugs, then I strongly suggest that you leave me.” The man turns to continue on his way, only stopping to run a hand through his hair and slick it back._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back then you had been nothing to Vergil. He didn’t even deem you worthy enough to know his name. But somewhere along the line after your dad died things had started to change between you and Vergil. Regardless of what happened, demon attacks, following him into creepy crypts and mansions, Aela’s death, getting sick, the werewolves poisoning you, through it all, you never left him. You never threw in the towel, said heck with it, and ran off to try to live out a normal life again. Sure you were scared a demon would kill you like it had your dad, but there was always something more than just that. You didn’t want to leave. You liked being with Vergil. 

In that time perhaps the same thing happened for Vergil. Even if he would never admit it, even to himself, maybe Vergil liked being with you as well. A soft smile spreads on your lips at the thought. All of those times he had gone out of his way to save you or help you out, like changing the bandage on your leg while you slept when you first met him, coming after you after you disobeyed him and went out causing Aela to die, caring for you when you were poisoned and trying to bring your fever down when you were sick, those are all things that he didn’t have to do but he did. While you had wondered why he did all those things, you never thought that perhaps he did them because he cared. Because, like you, he didn’t want to say goodbye just yet; didn’t want to go back to being alone. 

You feel like an idiot for only now realizing all of this; how much Vergil cares. He’s not like most of the guys you know who are bold. Aaron shows his affection by hugging, kissing, holding your hand, worrying about you, and standing by you no matter what. But Vergil isn’t like that; for him it’s the smaller subtle things that matter most and speak the loudest. 

Simply by tolerating your presence Vergil had showed that you’re at least more than dirt. His time is important and so he doesn’t waste it on fools or things that don’t matter. Vergil had taken that to the next level by simply walking next to you instead of in front; he had showed you that not only are you worth his time, but that he views you just as important as himself, that to him, all others are beneath you. Vergil won’t sit around and worry about you nor will he tell you to be careful of the bad things in the world like Aaron would. Instead, whenever something threatened you or you were in danger, Vergil would be there, to drag you out and save you. Aaron may have supported you even if he’s terrified and doesn’t understand, but Vergil had instead stood by your side, sword in hand, ready to fight whatever dared to enter your life next. Despite how much you didn’t want to admit it, how much you tried to fight and hide it, you can’t anymore. So you allow yourself to finally admit what you knew deep down five years ago. Vergil cares deeply for you indeed, and you care for him just as much. 

You take a deep breath and glance down at Zaide. You won’t allow the same thing to happen to Vergil. All those times he had saved you; now it’s your turn to save him. You’re not going to run. You ball your hands into fists and clench your teeth. No more death. You’re not going to die and neither is Vergil. The only death you’ll accept is Lorelei’s. 

With your head now clear and more determined than ever, you call out. “Vergil, come and get me!” Let him come. Let him take you to Lorelei so that you can end this nightmare. 

A flash of movement a short ways down the alley catches your attention and you turn to it. Standing there is Vergil, still in devil trigger. By the looks of it, Zaide didn’t go out without a fight. There are large gashes, scrapes and bite marks all over Vergil’s leathery skin. Blood runs from them down his body and he seems to be worn out. But despite them, his blood red demonic eyes remain locked onto your form with a hungry hatred. Before you can make a move, he’s gone and a sudden sharp pain fills your senses before your world goes black.


	39. Nightmare

Fate  
Chapter 39: Nightmare

_“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” –F Scott_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silent; everything is deafly silent. You open your eyes and take in your surroundings. You know this place. You’ve known this place for five years now. It’s always the same. Your dreams always bring you to this place; to the mighty white dragon you’ve grown to adore. The ever bright sun shines down upon you and the barren dry land that stretches on for as far as the eye can see; yet, as always, it is not hot. Your eyes scan the horizon and as soon as they lock onto the cave in the distance your feet start off with a ravenous pace. You smile as you run, looking forward to seeing your dragon friend once again. 

Though it’s always the same dream, the same place, the same cave, the same dragon, what happens each time is always different; never the same as the last time. Once it walked closely beside you, ever watchful, as you explored the cave, both of you content with each other’s presence. Another time a giant troll and followed you into the cave the dragon had rushed fourth out of seemingly nowhere, enraged at the troll. It put itself between you and the troll, both fighting and protecting at the same time until finally the troll fell. One time it guided you away from the cave. You’re not sure how far the two of you had walked; it seemed like forever in a good way. When the both of you had reached your destination you had discovered that your dragon had led you to another dragon. This new dragon looked identical to yours in every way, but despite that you had always known which one was yours. They may have looked the same but they acted very differently. 

Your breath leaves your lungs in pants as the spot on the horizon grows larger the closer you get to it. As you draw closer and closer, something stirs in your gut. Something’s not right, you’re not sure what exactly, but the sense of dread only continues to grow and fester the closer you get to the cave. As you approach, you immediately notice something off. On the crack littered ground is a large white mass. 

Your pace slows as you approach it and realize that the mass is your dragon. A pain fills your aching heart. You come to a stop before the majestic creature, eyes wide with horror. Your legs wobble before giving out sending you to the hard ground, but you don’t care. The dragon’s once clear crystal blue eyes are now a lifeless dark red; its body is littered with gashes, gouges, claw marks, and stabs wounds as well as various other injuries. Its once snow white scales are now dyed dark red with dried blood; white only visible in small spots here and there, like a ghost of what once was, where the dragon’s blood didn’t run. The dragon’s sharp black claws are all either broken, shattered, or missing altogether. Its large, strong wings that had once blocked out the very sky above you are now torn and in tethers. They will never again touch the sky. 

Sitting on the ground, tears stream down your face. Who or what could have done such a thing? You knew your dragon. He was strong, fierce and proud. Whenever a threat had arrived he would rise up and defeat it. He always stood his ground. He was mighty. Whatever did this to him…you can’t even comprehend what such a creature must be capable of. 

A shadow cast by a cloud passes along the ground. Wait… It’s always the same here, always very bright, dry and sunny. There shouldn’t be a cloud. You look up to the sky and discover that the once clear sky is now covered with thick, black clouds that seem to devour the light cast by the large sun before the cloud decides to cover that as well leaving the world shrouded in darkness. A shiver dances across your skin when a strong cold wind starts to blow. 

What’s happening? It’s never cold here; everything always appeared as if you were in some desert somewhere. Something is coming. You’re not sure what and you’re not sure how you even know, but you _do_ know. And whatever it is sure as hell doesn’t want a friendly hug. You gaze back at your lifeless dragon. Whatever had killed seems to have returned for you as well. Your eyes fly all around you, looking, searching for anything but all you find is the dark, frigid landscape that surrounds you. 

An ominous feeling of being watched, being hunted courses through you and you freeze. Whatever it is it’s right behind you. You can feel its breath on the back of your neck like a deep winter’s freeze. You take a deep breath and hold it. You close your eyes and count to five before you start to slowly turn around to face the creature. 

Pain fills your senses and you open your eyes with a soft moan. Your head hurts. You remember Zaide, the alley, Vergil, and your nightmare, but where did Vergil take you? Your eyes adjust to the dim light produced by numerous candles scattered around the area. You discover that you’re lying on a cold, dust covered stone floor. As you take in your surroundings you quickly come to the realization that you’re not somewhere any sane person would venture. Around you are tombs; bones of the dead decorate the walls and ceiling in intricate beautiful but morbid patterns. As odd as it may seem, you feel like you’ve been here before. You struggle to your feet, eyes searching for Vergil. 

“So you finally woke up.” A female voice rings out, echoing off the walls and through various tunnels. “Took you long enough.” 

Your eyes dart to the source of the voice behind you. Your eyes land on a woman standing on a large stage like platform made from stone. You remember this place now. You were here before. The night your dad was killed, Vergil had led you to a decrepit church on the city outskirts. That’s where you had first met Arkham. You had followed the two into the church and down a long winding staircase that had led into an ancient crypt that ran under the church grounds. They’re destination was this very room. It was here that you had first heard the story of Sparda. Only, back then, there had been a large angelic statue that had stood where the woman now does. It’s not a stage at all; more like it’s a support to help hold the statue that had once stood there. 

You return your focus to the woman that stands watching you with amber-orange eyes. Her dark hair is ridiculously long, almost touching the floor. She’s dressed in a skin tight black dress that has a neckline that descends down to her hips. The tall, black spiked heels she wears make your feet ache just looking at them. What surprises you the most is that, despite dressed like a whore, she is actually very beautiful. So this is Lorelei. Your eyes lock onto the figure standing behind her. 

Vergil. 

Your determination returns tenfold. You will save him, no matter what the cost. You owe Vergil that much. Your eyes dart back to Lorelei and you glare at her. It’s probably nowhere near as intimidating as you want it to be, but you put your all into that glare. You will not step down and let her keep Vergil like some lap dog. If you are truly fated to die then so be it; but there’s no way in hell that you’ll leave Vergil to his fate of servitude, especially to some bitch like Lorelei. 

An amused laugh passes Lorelei’s lips. “Just look at you! You’re so pathetic; thinking you actually stand a chance against me.” 

“And look at you, all high and mighty,” You growl back. “What will it feel like for a powerful devil such as yourself to fall at the hands of such a ‘pathetic’ human like me?” 

She lets out an ear piercing screech that’s such a high frequency you have no doubt that if there’s any glass nearby it’s now shattered. Oh yeah, you must me a genius. Why not taunt and piss off the big bad devil lady when you’re trapped defenseless in a creepy crypt? That sounds like a brilliant idea. You deserve a metal for that one. 

Lorelei vanishes in a cloud of mist only to appear before you in an instant. Her long claw-like nails dig into your throat and you wince before she lifts you up, your feet dangling above the ground. Her grip on your neck becomes bruising, tightening even more every few seconds. So she plans on suffocating you to death. Not really what you expected for a powerful devil. Actually, in a twisted sort of way, you’re kind of disappointed. Any human can strangle someone to death. You expected something more along the lines of stabbing, biting or clawing. Maybe some black magic tossed into the mix. 

Your lungs scream and burn, desperate for air that Lorelei will never give you. You have to think despite the lack of oxygen making that task rather hard at the moment. If you die right now then you will have failed Vergil and you refuse to let that happen. You struggle and squirm as much as you can, trying to loosen her grip even an inch. Unfortunately you have no such luck and her hand instead tightens even more. 

Your arm brushes against something hard and cold at your hip and it takes you a minute to remember the gun that Lady had given to you. Okay, so you’re not completely defenseless. You manage to grab hold of the gun without drawing Lorelei’s attention to what you’re planning. You remember watching a hunting show with your dad once. You feel for the safety switch where you saw it located on the show. If your lungs weren’t about to give out then you’d smile victoriously when your finger runs over the safety. You click the small switch. 

You’ve never held a gun before much less fired one, but there has never been a better time to learn as you go. Thankfully, with her hand around your throat, Lorelei’s head a foot away isn’t exactly that hard of a target. You move quickly, not wanting to give her time to react. You point and your finger squeezes the trigger. The shot echoes loudly throughout the crypts passageways and off old stone walls. You gasp in air as you drop to the ground, coughing. Your gaze shoots up, quick to locate Lorelei who lies on the ground; knocked back a few feet by the hit. You are quick to back up, putting distance between you and the devil bitch. 

When she sits up blood is running down her perfect face with a bullet hole on the left side of her forehead. Her eyes are hell fire itself when they lock onto you. Okay, so it’ll take more than one shot to the head to bring her down, even with the surprisingly powerful gun Lady armed you with. 

“You’ll pay for that; human whore!” She screams. Suddenly a light gains your attention out of the corner of your eye. It takes you only a second to realize that the faint red glow is the marks on your wrist from the protector’s bracelet. Your eyes dart to nearby shadows to spot five sets of glowing red eyes staring hungrily at you. “Once my pets are done with you, you’ll be begging me to end your life!” 

Everything happens in seconds. The shadow creature lunge towards you. You take off sprinting towards a narrow tunnel. And the protector’s bracelet releases its red swords that ignore the demons all together and instead head for you. You don’t look back; you’re not that stupid. You know what’s after you. They may not kill you because of Lorelei’s orders but they sure as hell don’t want to sit down for a nice little tea party with you. 

Racing down the passageway and making a few sharp turns to escape the swords flying at you, you quickly come to the realization that this crypt might as well be once big maze. One passageway leads into four others, which in turn leads into nine others and so on. The worst part is that they echo even the tiniest of sound. You can hear the shadow demons claws scrap against the dusty stone floor and hear their snarls. But you’re not sure if they’re a yard away or an inch from tearing your head off your shoulders behind you. 

You’re mind runs as fast as your feet. If you’re going to help Vergil then you’re going to have to come up with some semblance of a plan. First things first, what do you know about your enemy? Lorelei seems so full of herself and so confident that you can’t win this fight. That’s good, it brings her guard down and she’ll make arrogant mistakes. Well…she might have at least. Now that you shot her in the head once she may be taking you a little more seriously. She can also move very fast, disappearing and reappearing in that mist. You’re not sure if it’s some sort of teleportation or if she just is able to move that fast. That’ll be something to watch out for. Also, her claws are really sharp. She may or may not use them as a weapon against you, but it’s something you should keep in mind. Lorelei also seems to have a short temper. Sure, you can see anyone getting pissed after being shot in the head, but even before that you’re little comeback was what set her off to start with. 

Right now your main problems are the demons and swords after you. You can’t really do much about the swords though you’re kind of surprised they didn’t attack the demons and then turned around for you like they did last time. Perhaps because they’re being controlled by Vergil’s devil, which is currently under Lorelei’s control? You’re not entirely certain; which leaves the demons as your top priority. You had counted five of them and they’re able to blend into the shadows to conceal themselves. Since you never looked behind you, you’re not sure what they look like or how fast they can run. Regardless they’re still just some lesser demons. The protector’s bracelet activating for them is proof of this. And if your gun was able to send Lorelei that far across the floor then you have no doubt that a well-placed bullet will bring them down. Your best bet would be to take them out one by one; otherwise you’ll be over powered with their numbers. And since this crypt is such a maze they probably split up for a better chance of hunting you down. Time to go demon hunting.


	40. Vengeance

Fate  
Chapter 40: Vengeance

_“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time to hunt some demons. You glance down to your wrist. The markings are still glowing, but no swords shoot out. You can use it as a twisted type of radar. It glows brighter the closer you get to the demons but the swords won’t come out to play unless the demon is within eyeshot. Like right now, the red glow is strong, but you’re not playing dodgem with swords; a demon is close, but not close enough to where you can see it, or it you. 

Your grip tightens and you hold your gun up, ready to fire at the first sign of anything demonic. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves and slow your running pace until you come to a stop. Your eyes rapidly dart back and forth between the passage you came from and the one that lies ahead. It can only come one of two ways and you’re ready. Taking a small experiment you take a few steps back, eyes carefully watching the glowing markings. It’s only by a fraction but the glow does dim down slightly. That’s all you needed to know. 

You keep your gun pointed down the way you were heading; the glow becoming brighter and brighter. You know right where the bastard is and that he’s heading your way; you’re as ready as you can be. You keep your eyes focused on the dark shadows, watching carefully for any sign of movement. These demons blend in almost perfectly in the dark. It’s one of their main advantages and you know that they’re going to use it against you every chance they get. Thankfully, that makes them more predictable. 

There; the shadow against the left wall! The movement was so slight that you would have missed it all together if you hadn’t been watching for it. You pull the trigger and let out a curse when you miss. You come crashing to the ground and your gun is sent flying to the floor against the wall, when something wraps around your legs and pulls. You look down to find a large dark red snake like tail wrapped tightly around your legs. The demon starts to drag you towards where it awaits within the dark shadows. 

To make the situation even better, the bracelet activates and sends three red swords shooting out. They make a quick U-turn and aim for you. Oh what fun today has turned out to be. You manage to roll just in time to avoid the first two; which shatter when they hit the solid stone floor. That gives you an idea. You curl your body up around your trapped legs as much as you are able and wait for the last sword to strike. You’re timing and movement has to be perfect in order for this to work. The sword zips towards you with a red blur. Just before it strikes you, you uncurl your body. The snake lets out a pained hiss and releases its grip on you when the sword becomes embedded into the thick scaly skin of its tail. 

The sword works to free itself, causing the snake like demon enough pain to momentarily lose focus on you. You take the opportunity and scurry to your gun. You grab ahold of it just as the sword frees itself and the snake demon turns its attention back to you. You point, shoot and duck all in less than a second. The bullet hits its mark this time and the snake releases a final cry before its body disintegrates into dust. The sword that had retargeted you shatters into small fragments when it hits the wall behind where your head was only moments ago. 

Breathing heavily you just stand there for a moment trying to comprehend all that had just happened. You really did it didn’t you? You killed that demon all on your own. No help from Vergil, Zaide, or the protector’s bracelet. In fact, you killed it on your own _while_ dodging the damn bracelet’s swords. You take a deep breath and try to stop your hands from shaking. Okay, one down, four more to go and then Lorelei. You can do this. For Vergil, you can do this. 

You don’t have long to recover from the first attack. The gun shots that traveled through the crypts passageways must have alerted another demon that had been nearby to your location because the markings still glow a bright red. You’d rather not stay in one place and let all of these demons find you. You put the adrenaline rushing through your veins to good use and take off running in the direction the snake demon came from. 

You take a sharp turn to the right and head up a set of uneven stone stairs that are lined with bones. The stairs lead to a second floor and a forked passageway. The glowing circular markings on your wrist become brighter. Suddenly three more swords shoot out of the markings. You’ll only have a moment to move once they turn around, but even more concerning is that a demon must be far closer than you thought. 

You spot a short shadow figure down the right path charging towards you with blazing red eyes; and in the next instant you find yourself falling face first to the ground, a heavy weight on your back. You manage to roll over to find one of the demons; this time it looks like some mummified wolf…thing. Just as you roll over the swords impale themselves in the small sections of dirt between the stones that make up the floor inches from your head. If you were to turn your head your noise would brush them. The bastard demon must have followed you up the stairs. 

You move your gun to shoot the wolf but before you can get it lined up the wolf’s fangs chomp down on your hand; the same hand that’s holding the gun. You cry out in pain and pray that none of your bones are broken. You try to break your hand free, remembering the second demon that was heading your way before this bastard showed up uninvited. With your free hand, you hit the wolf on the head repeatedly as hard as you can but to no results other than it biting down harder. Next to your head the swords struggle to free themselves from the hard dirt. You don’t have long. What do you do? It has you pinned so you can’t move. Your hand is shoved in its mouth and the way its head is positioned you can’t grab the gun with your free hand. 

You close your eyes trying to block out the pain and think. Time seems to slow and the panic that had grown within you fades. Your mind turns to Vergil; his beautiful soul piercing eyes and his brilliant intellect. You remember how safe you feel standing next to him. You remember how enchanted you were by him walking back from Devil May Cry; how close he was when the two of you stopped walking without even realizing it. You can picture him in that moment like it was still happening; his pale skin, the look in his eyes, and you still wonder how soft his lips are. 

His lips; you want to know what they feel like against your own. What they taste like; you _have_ to know. If you let this demon win, if you die here, then you will never experience what those lips are like. If you die, then Vergil has no hope left. If you die, then he might as well be dead as well. You can’t let him die. You _won’t_ let him die. You care for him to much to let him die; not when you’re still breathing. You can do this. You can save him, you can kill these demons. You just need to think. They’re ruthless and you have to be just as ruthless back. For him. 

Opening your eyes you once again meet the snarling wolf above you. It has a weak spot you can take advantage of, one that will release its grip on you and buy you enough time to take it out. You let out a cry, not one of pain but one of fierceness, and jam your thumb into the demon’s blazing eye at the same time the swords break free from the dirt and shoot up high into the air. The beast lets go and jumps back yipping. You immediately move, you aim and pull the trigger sending a bullet straight into the wolf’s head. It falls to the ground turning into dust. 

As fast as you can, you roll onto your stomach facing down the right passageway just missing the swords that rain down and hit where you had just been. They crash into the hard stone this time, not the soft dirt, and shatter. The second demon that is now only a yard or so away is another wolf. You aim and squeeze the trigger. The demon’s body falls and slides across the stone with the momentum it had picked up. By the time its body comes to a halt, it’s another pile of dust. 

You scurry to your feet, eyes darting to the markings on your wrist and are relieved to find it only faintly glowing. The remaining two demons must be a ways away. You holster your gun and hold up your bitten hand, you wince and inspect the damage. It’s not as bad as you first thought it was. It doesn’t look like there is any major damage but it’s bleeding a lot. But that gives you an idea on how to kill the next demon. 

You rip off a bottom corner of your shirt and hold it to your hand, letting the cloth absorb your blood. You walk to the mouth of both passages. When the glowing gets slightly brighter at the left passage you head down it. After walking for a bit you find a good spot to put your plan into action. The tunnel is wider here than the others you’ve been down and tombs sit on rows along the sides. You take the blood drenched crag and wipe it on the stone floor leaving a trail. After a few yards you lead the path to one of the stone tombs. You rub your blood on the grave and with all of your strength you push the lib open a just enough to drop the rag in. 

After mentally apologizing to whoever’s resting place you just used as a trash can you call out, trying to make noise to lure one of the demons in. It takes a few minutes before the demon must have picked up the scent of your blood. Once the glow from the markings begins to brighten you dart behind one of the stone tombs on the other side of the tunnel to hide and draw your gun. 

When the red glow increases you shove your hand into your pocket to conceal the light. Without the markings illuminating your way the tunnel becomes much darker than you thought it would. Who knew that your demon killing bracelet could not only double as a demon detector but a flashlight as well? Maybe the whole absorbing into your flesh thing wasn’t so bad after all. Sure there are the swords that are trying to kill you with every demon encounter, but you’re kind of getting the hang of how to deal with them. Dodge and trick them to crash into things. 

Claws scraping against stone enter your ears and you hold your breath. In the dark you are able to make out your next target. As it approaches your eyes widen. All of its ‘fur’ is gone to reveal reddish dried skin that is stretched tightly across its boney body. Its teeth are pointed in its large mouth. You know this demon; the demon that can only be described as a mutated lion. It is identical to the demon that had killed your dad. You know that it’s not the same one. You had witnessed Vergil kill the demon that had murdered your dad. The demon before you is just the same kind as the one that stole your dad from you. 

The lion comes to a stop to investigate the tomb you tossed the bloody rag into. Just as you planned it thinks you’re hiding inside. The three red swords making their reappearance are your queue. You jump out from behind your hiding place just as the demon turns to look at you, you pull the trigger. Your feet don’t stop when its dust hits the ground. You run and dive behind the tomb it was investigating just as the swords crash into it. They crack the stone grave before shattering into shards. 

Five years ago you ran from such a demon. It had turned your world upside down and inside out. Five years ago such a demon almost took your life; but today you took its. A sense of power and achievement fills you. This proves how much you’ve grown in that time. How strong you have become. But it’s not for you; no. Everything you are doing, facing these demons, fighting when all seems hopeless, it’s all for him. If not for him you would have already of been killed by Lorelei’s hand before this sick game of laser tag began. Even under her control, Vergil makes you strong. 

You hit the small switch on your gun that releases the magazine. As you thought, out of bullets. It actually probably would have been smart to have checked that before you set your lion trap. You’re just lucky that you didn’t miss or you would have been screwed. Remembering the extra ammo that Lady had given you, you pull it out. A frown draws itself on your lips. Three bullets. It’ll take one to bring down the last demon and then who knows how many for Lorelei. You already have one headshot on her but she’s a devil; her wounds have probably already healed. Okay then; one bullet for the demon and two for Lorelei. You’ll just have to hope that two is enough to bring the bitch down and that you don’t miss. 

With your gun reload with your last three bullets and only one demon left; you turn to look at your wrist and your heart stops as three new red swords dart out from it. You watch the swords zip past a demonic looking bear thing which is glaring at you from the other side of the tomb you’re hiding behind with its paw raised ready to bring it down upon you. You roll out of the way just as the bear’s powerful claws come down and the stone tomb crumbles. 

You roll a large rock from the broken tomb hits your injured hand; knocking your gun from it. You suck in a sharp breath from the pain that shoots through your hand. Damn wolf. The bear puts itself between you and your only means of defense. You need to find a way to get around it and an idea comes to you. It’s not necessarily a good plan, but right now it’s all you’ve got. 

Before the bear can strike again or the swords find you, you run down the passageway back towards the stairs. You can feel the stone floor seemingly shake as the bear gives chase after you and you do your best not to think of how close it has to be behind you. You reach the mouth of the tunnel, make a sharp turn, and head down the passage that forked to the right. The swords shoot by your head with nothing more than a red blur just as you turn. 

One thing you learned about the swords, they’re not good at sudden turns and apparently neither is the demon. It’s forced to slow down a bit to make the turn. This buys you enough time to duck behind a bone encased pillar that stands a few yards down the passage. You shove your hand into your pocket to hide the glowing light emitting from it. You just pray that this desperate risky plan of yours actually works. 

You can hear the bear moving closer and closer. It takes in large breaths; smelling the air, searching for you. You hold your breath, stand stone still and don’t make a sound. You hope that the bear will just pass right by you, but your luck isn’t that great apparently. It pauses just a few inches away right on the other side of the pillar; its noise hard at work, smelling. You can hear it move closer, investigating your pillar. 

Shit, this isn’t looking good. You need to think of a way out of this and fast. If you can just lure it further down the passage so you can make a run for your gun. You only have so long before the damn swords make their reappearance and then you’ll have to move. You pick out a small bone from the pillar and when the bear isn’t looking, you chuck it as hard as you can down the passage. 

The bone hitting the ground- or wall for all you know -echoes loudly and draws the bears focus. It lets out a loud roar before charging off down the tunnel. Just as you make a run for it, the swords reappear just on time. You do a running duck and they hit the bone pillar like darts on a board. The noise draws the bear’s attention back and it spots you attempting your escape. Thankfully, it’s a ways down the passage now. 

Your feet don’t stop. You run back to the stairs, turn back down the left passageway where your gun awaits, never looking behind you once. You know what’s back there. A pissed off giant bear demon thing and possessed demonic swords that want nothing more than to skewer you; and to think it’s not even Wednesday. 

Your breath comes out in pants as you race to save yourself; to save Vergil. Your eyes lock onto your gun on the floor by the broken tomb. You can feel the bear’s hot breath on the back of your neck; can hear the swords whooshing through the air. You make a dive for your gun; hitting the ground as the swords shatter into the stone wall. In an instant you’re rolled over, pointing and shooting. With your bullet ripping through its head, the bear falls to the ground dead. 

You allow your body to completely collapse to the ground, not even caring about the rocks digging into your skin. You inhale a deep breath, hold it and then let it go allowing your body to relax in your victory. You did it. You really did it. You killed all five demons. You weren’t even impaled by the swords! Oh yeah, you defiantly deserve that metal. 

You have two bullets left and one devil bitch to kill. She’ll be harder to take down than her little demon circus was. It’s a gamble. If two bullets aren’t enough or if you miss even once then it’s all over. You’re dead and Vergil’s fate will be sealed. With another deep breath, you stand up from the dirty ground and lean against the wall while you try to think up some sort of plan or strategy for dealing with Lorelei. 

She moves fast, has sharp claws and a bad temper. Really that’s all you have on her, but it’s better than nothing. Before she got mad you belittled her and tried to choke you. When you shot her, she summoned a demon circus. Her temperament links to her actions. She’ll most likely be pissed once she realizes that you killed her pets, which will fuel her to act. With her demons dead and you mostly unharmed would she try to go after and kill you or would she use Vergil? 

The thought that you may actually have to fight Vergil isn’t something that had occurred to before. Zaide did a number on him and despite his demonic blood, his wounds were really bad and he lost a lot of blood. He’s not in good shape. Would Lorelei come at you herself, not wanting to risk losing Vergil as a pawn, or would she not care and risk his death to assure your own? Lesser demons and possessed swords are one thing, but facing Vergil is another. You know what he is capable of on a normal day, but him in devil trigger? You saw what he did to that demon in Delia’s shop; what he did to Zaide and you’d rather not be on that end of his blade. 

All that you have done so far has been for Vergil. The thought of failing him _because_ of him hurts your heart. You can’t use anything to defend yourself against him. The bullets have Lorelei’s name on them and it’s not even like you can manipulate the swords to hit him. Both Lorelei and Vergil are powerful devils, not weak demons. The protector’s bracelet won’t even activate around them. 

Vergil may be weakened from his injuries, but you know better than to think you’re any sort of match for him. You can’t beat him; you can’t fight him. The only thing you have on your side is that you know Lorelei won’t let him kill you. She wants the power of the curse for herself. Even if Vergil attacks and brings you to the brink of death, he won’t kill you. Lorelei will do everything to make sure that she gets the power and not him. If he does then he’ll probably be too strong for her to control, break free and kill her himself. 

There is nothing that you can do about Vergil, but Lorelei on the other hand is different. Her temper leaves her vulnerable; predictable. She’s cocky and leaves herself open for attack. You can kill her; you just need an opening. When you get your opening you’ll have to make sure there isn’t a pause between your bullets. You have to shoot her one right after the other otherwise she’ll heal like she did last time. 

Right now you have the element of surprise. She has no idea where you are or what shape you’re in. You make your way through numerous passages towards where you woke up at. You’re on the second floor now, but you’re hoping that maybe you can find a balcony or something where you can sneak up on her; maybe kill her before she can tell Vergil to do anything. The tunnels seem endless and dark. This place really is like a maze. 

You see a soft light at the end of a short passage to your left and take it remembering that the main chamber was illuminated by countless candles. You slow your steps as you reach the end and watch your footing so that you don’t shift any rocks or make a single sound that would alert Lorelei or Vergil to your presence. 

As you had hoped the path leads out onto a small, narrow balcony of sorts. Crawling to the edge and peering down you spot Lorelei sitting on the stone stage like structure looking rather bored. She’s talking but you can’t make out exactly what; something about hearing your cries of pain, taking too long and…a lama? Okay, so you defiantly heard that last part wrong. In truth you’re surprised you heard as much as you did. Her voice is soft as if she’s just bored and talking more to herself. 

The distance is long so it’ll be a tough shot to make, but so long as she stays there and Vergil doesn’t notice- Your heart stops in your chest when you find his demonic, hatred filled red eyes glaring at you from his place still behind Lorelei. 

Well…shit… 

You don’t have time to scramble to your feet and dart back down the passage when Vergil’s hand closes around Yamato. It doesn’t even look like he moved at all, but the strong gust of wind and the balcony crumbling beneath you say otherwise. You fall with the balcony down to the first floor. The landing is rough and the air is knocked from your lungs. 

“Well well, you’re still alive. I was wondering if those things were too stupid to understand that they were to keep you alive.” Lorelei chirps gazing at you as you struggle to your feet. “Good, I was getting terribly bored and slaves make for terrible conversation.” 

“He’s not your slave!” You yell angrily. “You’re little pets are dead and you’re next.” 

You expect that to set her off, but are surprised when she simply raises an inquisitive brow. “What is this? You come to the defense of such a pitiful creature?” 

Her words make you bite back a growl. You don’t like where this is going. 

Lorelei stands and walks a few steps towards you, hips swinging all the way, before stopping. Her orange eyes seemingly stare right through you before a wide grin spreads on her lips. “Now I understand. Oh this is _rich_! You’ve fallen for the son of Sparda.” She goes into a fit of amused laughter. 

You don’t say anything, settling on just doing your best imitation of Vergil’s death glare. This is what you were afraid of. Her finding out that you care for him. You have no doubt that with that knowledge she’ll use it against you in the worst way. 

“You really believe you can save him?” Lorelei calms down. “You can’t even save yourself! He will do whatever I say without question or hesitation. He belongs to _me._ And just to prove it…” 

Lorelei turns back towards the stage and climbs it, keeping her back to you. “She’s all yours, but you better not kill her. The girls’ life is mine alone to claim.” 

Everything happens in an instant. Vergil is gone, and then is right in front of you and you’re yelling out in pain when Yamato is pierced through your left shoulder. As he pulls it out, he twists it, slicing it deeper as it withdraws. Your hand shoots up to grasp your bleeding shoulder; tears threatening to fall from your eyes. This is what you feared but you have to stay strong for him. 

“I’m not fighting you Vergil.” You meet his hatred filled eyes. Vergil isn’t in those eyes. Those are the eyes of his devil; his devil under the devil bitch’s control. Let him do as he wishes. Let him slice and dice you. He won’t kill you. You just have to hold on. Lorelei’s guard will be down once Vergil is finished with you. She’ll think you have given up. That’s when you will have an opening. That’s when you can kill her. Until then, you must endure. You must. For Vergil. 

The hilt of Yamato jabs brutally into your stomach and you bite your lip to keep your voice from becoming more than a loud moan when you feel one or two of your rips give way and break. Putting more force behind Yamato, Vergil sends you flying back. Your back and head smack against the solid stone wall before your body falls to the hard ground. You will your eyes to open and Vergil’s demonic feet fill your blurred vision. The room seems to spin and it’s hard for you to focus your eyes on anything. 

You feel a part of you wanting to give up. To just give in and let Lorelei win; let her kill you and put you out of the misery you find yourself in. Tears free themselves from your eyes and stream down your face. You can’t though. All of those times Vergil had saved you… If you give up now then you’ll never be able to repay him. If you die then you’ll never be able to find out if Vergil’s lips are as soft as they look. You’ll never be able to tell him that you… No, you can’t die. Not yet at least. 

You feel a clawed hand dig into your injured shoulder but the only sound your body is able to make is a whisper of a whimper. He drags you along the ground; sharp rocks cutting into your skin go unnoticed by your foggy mind. Vergil easily tosses you onto the stage before Lorelei. 

“After all that talk, that was the big show?” Lorelei laughs and walks; circling your unmoving body. “Like I said, you can’t even save yourself. You talk big, sure, but in the end you’re just another human. Weak, breakable, and pathetic…” 

Lorelei continues to talk, but you don’t hear her. This is it; now or never. You have your opening. She thinks she’s won. Her defenses and guard are down. You try to reach for your gun but your body won’t move. You clench your teeth as tears still run down your face. You have to move! You have to kill her! You have to save Vergil! You keep trying and trying but your body is unresponsive. Damn it! _Move!_

Using every ounce of your will and remaining strength your hand finally closes weakly around your gun. You manage to roll over on your side and aim. Lorelei notices and darts towards you. You pull the trigger once; twice. Lorelei falls to the ground, blood pooling around her head. You didn’t miss. 

You struggle to your feet and turn your attention towards Vergil. The unmoving look on his face says it all. He’s still under her control. Which means that she’s not dead and you’re out of bullets. Lorelei stirs and sits up; glaring at you with such a look it would scare death itself. You need a weapon, anything to finish her off with and fast. You can feel his eyes on you and you turn to meet them. While Vergil’s eyes are the same as they’ve ever been under her control, angry and filled with a hungry haltered for anything that enters their gaze, there’s something else there as well. It’s something so small, like a speck, that it could easily be overlooked. It takes you a moment to realize what that something is. You’ve seen it before. It’s the same look he allowed you to see after you left Devil May Cry. As buried as that look is under his demonic fury, it’s there none the less and you recognize it for what it is. 

Love. 

The marking on your wrist start to glow red and in an instant a single red sword shoots out as Lorelei gets to her feet. The sword makes a sharp U-turn and is headed straight towards you angrily. You understand. This is a test set up by Vergil’s devil to prove your worth. You sidestep and the sword misses. Your hands darts out and grasps the swords handle before it can hit the stone and shatter. Pain unlike any you have ever experienced burns its way into your hand increasing the longer you’re in contact with it. But you don’t cry out. You have no time. You swing around to face Lorelei and just as the tips of her claws dig into your chest where your heart is, you use all your strength to jam the sword through her. You can feel the blade cut through her flesh and organs sickeningly. 

“That’s for Zaide you bitch!!” 

Everything stops. She jumps back, body already disintegrating into dust. She’s lost and she knows it. “If I die, then so will you!” She slams her whole body into a large pillar before her body is nothing but ash. Her plan however worked; the impact strong enough to shatter the supporting pillar. Rocks start to fall and shift as the crypt starts to cave in. 

You turn your attention to Vergil. While he’s still in devil trigger his eyes are no longer the furious red. They’re still demonic but are now a blueish-green. You don’t move. You’re hesitant to. She maybe dead but is the being standing before you _your_ Vergil? He senses your lingering fear but makes no moves; just standing there staring into your eyes. His gaze calming, you realize, and your body starts to relax even as rocks crush down only yards from you. You know those enchanting eyes. 

You don’t think; you don’t have to. Your feet carry you to him, your arms wind around his neck and your face buries itself into his blue leathery chest. Your heart swells and tears stream down your face while your mind repeats the same three words over and over; you did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not only the longest chapter in Fate, but also my personal favorite. Before this chapter I was always very intimidated when it came to writing fight scenes, which made this chapter a big challenge. However, once I had finished it, it's like a weight had lifted from my shoulders and I now have no trouble writing fights. I hope that you enjoyed reading it. :)   
>  6 more chapters to go until the end. It's far from over. ;)


	41. Quiet Before The Storm

Fate   
Chapter 41: Quiet Before The Storm

_“One of the joys of being in love is that it clarifies your priorities. Complication arises from not knowing what you want.” –Phillip Sington_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You feel his strong arms wrap around your upper back and hook behind your legs before he gently lifts you up. You don’t pull away to look at him; more than content to keep your face buried in the safety his chest. Vergil will get both of you out of the crypt safely. You have no doubts. You allow your eyes too close, completely exhausted. 

You can hear the rocks crashing. The sound reminds you of what you imagine a stampede would sound like. While you don’t feel Vergil move, the wisps of wind say otherwise. You don’t have to look to know that Vergil is using his inhuman speed to dodge falling rocks and get you both out. It amazes you actually. How he can move so fast, jump, dodge, and spin so elegantly and smoothly around the falling hunks of earth that if feels like you’re not moving at all. It just feels like he’s standing still holding you; of which your broken ribs are thankful for. Despite the danger of being buried alive, you know you are completely safe in his arms; and knowing that pulls your tired body closer to sleep despite the dealing noise around you. With all of this over you are so going to find a nice quiet, boring secretary job somewhere. You’ve had enough action today to last a lifetime. 

Just before sleep can pull you under the wind picks up. It gains enough of your attention to open your eyes and look. You discover that you are no longer in the crypt. It’s not surprising; you knew Vergil would get you both out. What is surprising however is when you realize that you’re not even on the ground any longer. In fact, the ground is a few thousand feet below you and you’re surrounded by the clear night sky. You panic and your grip tightens around Vergil’s neck. You turn to look at him and it’s only then do you catch movement behind him. Your eyes widen with wonder as you gaze at two sets of large bat like wings that are as black as the thickest darkness, working easily to keep the two of you in the sky. 

You only look away from them when you hear Vergil let out an amused sound. You turn your attention back to him to see his lips hold a slight smirk. 

“It’s not funny.” You pout but relax your hold on him. Vergil won’t drop you. It takes you a while to get over the fear of being thousands of feet up in the air, but once you do you actually start to enjoy yourself. The city lights mix and contrast against each other turning them into a beautiful canvas of color amidst the dark moonless night. The air is fresh which is welcomed after the musky smell of the crypt. The quiet of it all is another thing. Not even Vergil’s demonic wings make a sound as they carry you through the cool night sky. The quiet is peaceful and added with the scenery and company it’s comforting. 

“It’s so pretty.” You murmur softly not wanting to break the blissful silence. Being here, in Vergil’s arms watching the city pass by far below; you never want this moment to end and you know in your heart that you will never forget it. 

Vergil gracefully touches down the dark yard of a house on a hill that overlooks the city. You’re thankful that any neighboring houses are out of eye shot lest someone see him as a devil and freak out or call the police. Mindful of your injuries, Vergil softly lowers you onto your feet and you release your hold on him. A blue light consumes his body before retreating and you find yourself staring at the white haired blue eyed man you’ve come to care so much for; Yamato now gripped in his hand. Turning your attention to the house, a smile spreads on your lips. It’s been five years since you were here last and you never had thought to return here. 

Vergil silently walks to the front door and unlocks it, holding the door open and allowing you to enter first. Inside, you take in the familiar sight of the living room. Although it’s dark you are able to make out the outline of the couch that had become your bed so long ago. 

Not bothering with turning on any lights, Vergil walks down the hallway to his room. You don’t need to be told to follow. His room, like the living room, remains as it had from all those years ago. Vergil sheds his coat on the way to his dresser and lays it on top along with Yamato. You watch him open a draw and pull out a few things that you can’t make out in the darkness. 

You’re eyes remain locked onto his form when he approaches and comes to a stop before you. He hands you half of what he had dug out and you realize that it’s a clean pair of pants and shirt. 

“Thank you.” You offer a smile. 

Maybe you’re seeing things or it’s the dark or something but you swear you can see his beautiful blue eyes soften slightly as he gazes at you. “I’ll leave you to change.” 

You can only manage a nod before he heads out into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind him. You inhale a deep breath, taking everything in. You really did it. You beat Lorelei, saved Vergil from his fate and now you’re back at his house like old times. You carefully remove your tattered, blood stained shirt and slide on the clean shirt that Vergil had provided only wincing twice from your broken ribs and stab wound in your shoulder. Yeah, you should probably get those looked at. At least your shoulder isn’t bleeding anymore. The shirt is large on you, being Vergil’s, but it’s comfortable. 

Next are your pants. You step out of them and push them into a small pile with your discarded shit. The pants, like the shirt are big, but you’re able to pull the drawstring on them tight enough to secure them, though the legs are long enough to hide your feet before making your way to the dresser you place your gun on it next to Yamato. You head to the bedroom door and open it to find Vergil waiting patiently leaning against the wall across from the bathroom; the only article of clothing on his is a clean pair of black pajama bottoms and his neckless, though you doubt you can count that later as clothing. 

Feeling heat creep onto your face and trying not to stare, you move past him and into the bathroom to wash the dirt and god only knows what else off your face. Feeling clean and refreshed you turn back to the hallway to see that Vergil has not only not moved, but has been watching you the whole time. That defiantly doesn’t help keep your face from looking like a tomato. 

You step out of the bathroom and hesitate for a moment on which direction to turn. You know what way you _want_ to turn; you want to sleep in Vergil’s room not on the couch in the living room. But you’re unsure as to if you’re allowed or not. Would it make things awkward if you were to sleep in his room? 

Thankfully, Vergil seems to pick up on your inner debate and motions towards his room much to your relief. You head back into the bedroom with Vergil following and closing the door behind. You make your way straight to the large bed and peel back the blankets before climbing in. Your body immediately relaxes on the soft mattress. Last time you laid in this bed you were on the brink of death; poisoned from Zaide’s pack and ill from the motorcycle drive in the cold rain. 

You feel the blankets lift before settling back down. You roll over to meet those pale blue eyes and Vergil gently pulls you to his chest; his strong arms wrapping around you as if to protect you from the world. And you thought your face was red before. His muscular body is warm and you can’t help but to rest against it. 

“As nice as this is, shouldn’t I be in a hospital or something? You did kind of stab me and I’m fairly certain that you broke a rib or two. I was also bitten by a demonic wolf…you kind of missed a lot...I kicked ass” 

“There is no need.” His voice is quiet. As if he can hear your unvoiced questions he continues. “A part of my devil is still within you. Your body will heal quickly.” 

You recall how fast the wound you got from the sword when the protector’s bracelet first decided to go all crazy. Even the doctors at the hospital were baffled by it. You hold up your right hand to inspect where the wolf had bitten you only to find it fully healed without so much as a scar. Well at least one good thing has come from having a demonic rage monster trapped inside you. You close your eyes and take in Vergil’s comforting scent. Safe, clean, warm and in Vergil’s arms, sleep finds you quickly. 

You know this place even now. Even with the sun still shrouded by black clouds and the cold wind blowing across the cracked endless land; you know this place. You wonder why your dreams brought you here. Your dragon is dead. With not much else to do, you slowly make your way towards the cave. What will you find? The cold corpse of your dragon? The thought makes your heart ache. 

As you approach the cave, you are surprised to see a figure standing outside where your dragon was slain. The closer you get, the more the figure comes into view and is revealed. 

Vergil. 

But why is he here? You open your mouth to speak but no sound comes out. Well that’s new. He turns to look at you; his face is cold and unreadable. It’s the same face you saw the night you had first met him in the rain. Panic fills you and your heartbeat speeds up. Something’s not right. You try to speak again, but can’t seem to make a single sound. Instead you reach out for him, but before you can touch him he turns and starts to walk way. The panic spreads like a wildfire as you watch him go. You run after him but, despite the fact he’s walking, no matter how fast you seem to run the distance between the two of you only seems to grow. You can feel tears stream down your face as you try oh so desperately to catch up to him, to reach him, to call out for him. Your efforts are futile however and before you know it, Vergil is nothing more than a speck on the far horizon before he disappears altogether.


	42. Journey’s End

Fate   
Chapter 42: Journey’s End

_“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” –Dr. Seuss_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You groan softly when your eyes are met with bright sunlight that shines in through the window curtains. Sitting up in bed, you glance around and discover that you are alone; both Yamato and Vergil’s coat are also missing from the dresser. You stretch your sore body out and yawn. While it feels like someone had hit you in the gut with a baseball bat, by far your ribs don’t hurt as much as they had last night. You pull down the neck of your shirt to examine your shoulder and are amazed to find nothing more than a small slice no worse than a big paper cut. 

Standing up from the bed, you eye the small pile of your ruined clothes with a frown. You walk over to them you slide your shoes on and pick up your shirt and pants; you’d rather not leave Vergil’s room a mess. A small bulge in one of your pants pockets draws your attention and curiosity. Digging your hand in you pull the unknown item out and a smile spreads on your lips. You had completely forgotten about this. It’s an odd sort of comfort in a way; to know you had this with you the whole time everything was going on. As small as it is, it’s like a little piece of him; the white plush keychain cat you got five years ago. 

Making your way over to where your gun still rests in its holster on the dresser. You clip the keychain onto your holster before attaching the while thing to your hip. Getting back to what you were doing before getting distracted, you walk across the room to the bedroom door, open it and head out into the hallway. You pass the empty bathroom and living room going straight into the kitchen where you toss your old clothes into the trash. 

As hungry as you are, Vergil’s house has been empty for five years so the chances of finding any sort of edible food are a fat zero. You’ll have to grab something later. Heading back into the living room you pause noticing Vergil, dressed once more in his usual outfit, standing before a window gazing out at the city. That’s the very same window you had looked out when you had decided it best to part ways from him all those years ago. You had debated and didn’t really want to leave, but with how he was acting you felt like you had little choice. It was actually probably for the best in the end. If you had stayed then what are the chances you would have been mixed up in the whole evil tower summoning thing? You know how many people had died that day. If you never left then you very well could have been one of them. 

Plopping down on the dusty couch brings back a rush of memories. “So what’s next? Lorelei is dead; we can check that off the list. It would probably be best if we find that book and destroy it so someone else doesn’t get ahold of it and come after me like she did.” 

“I dealt with the book.” Vergil replies, not turning away from the scenery. 

“When?” You doubt that he could have under Lorelei’s control while you were playing hide-and-seek with the demons. 

“Before I returned.” 

You frown, wasn’t he under her control then as well? Unless it was after he had broken free from her. “Okay, so Lorelei-check, book-check, what about the protector’s bracelet? Any ideas on how I can gain your dark side’s respect?” 

“You already have.” 

Your eyes shoot over to stare at his back in surprise. Your mind reels recalling the fight in the crypt. He may have been controlled by Lorelei, but his devil wanted you dead just as much as her. It had showed you no mercy when it had unleashed its wrath on you; not hold back an inch. You had refused to fight him; instead choosing to fight _for_ him. You were broken and beaten with the devil circling you ready to go in for the kill. And yet, despite that you still fought. Even when you couldn’t move, when things seemed to be the darkest, you didn’t give in. You had fought with strength you didn’t even know you had until then. 

You remember the look in his eyes in that moment. His inner devil gave you a chance; fought to give you a chance. You remember what Delia had told you. 

_”The bracelet is acting like a door. The door’s always closed, keeping the demonic essence from attacking; however that door opens whenever the bracelet is activated by a nearby weak demonic presence.”_

There were no lesser demons around to activate the bracelet; that door was closed. Which means that for his demonic side to have been able to send out that single sword it had to of forced that door open. That could not have been an easy task by any means. If it was, then it could have just done it sooner and you would have been dead before you even meet Zaide. Just like how Vergil was unable to break free from Lorelei for five years despite his power, but was able to from his sheer will to protect you; witnessing how far you were willing to go despite everything, his demonic essence must have thought you were at least worth a chance to prove yourself. By grabbing the bracelet’s sword, the very thing that’s sole desire is to end your life, and using it to kill Lorelei, not only breaking her hold on Vergil but saving yourself as well, you had passed the devil’s judgment and was found worthy. 

“Is there now a way to remove it?” 

“No; when you were deemed worthy that fragment of my demonic essence became a part of you. Vergil explains. “It will rise to your defense in the face of any threat regardless if that threat is demonic or otherwise. It will be sufficient protection should any others seek you out for the curse.” 

“So long as I don’t have to worry about it attacking me again I don’t mind it.” In truth it’s an oddly comforting thought. No matter what happens in the future, until the day you die you will always have a small piece of Vergil with you, watching out for you. 

With all the demonic related problems solved and taken care of an unexpected sadness fills your heart. Vergil had returned to protect you from his devil and kill Lorelei. But now that all of that is done he has no reason to stay. The ties that had bound you to him have unraveled and fallen away. Will you have to say goodbye to him again? You try to look at the larger picture and come to a depressing realization. Aaron is still waiting at Dante’s and you are to marry him. Sure, you could call it off if you really wanted to. You killed demons and devils; you could break a man’s heart. But Aaron isn’t just a man; he’s a damn good man. And even if you did leave him and run back to Vergil there’s no guarantee that Vergil would take you. He will always seek power and that could lead to him leaving again or dragging you to your death. If that were to happen then what was the point of everything you just went through? 

Biting back your sorrow, you stand and make your way to gaze out the window next to him. The sky that you had flown through last night is still clear. A bright sun warms the city which seems to be teeming with life. There’s a beauty in it that you would never have seen or respected before your life got turned upside down all those years ago. People, normal everyday people, scurry about bringing life to the city like blood in a body. They rush to work so that their families can thrive; getting through the rough days with strength that comes from thoughts of their loved ones. They remind you of children in a way. Pure, innocent, not knowing of the darker world of demons that surrounds them. You had been no different. You had the same thoughts as them, the same fears and hopes; but it seems that fate had a different plan for you. It was fate that had led you to Vergil that night so long ago. 

You turn to glance up at the man you’ve come to care for. Your heart flutters and your breath catches in your throat. Pale blue mystic eyes are no longer fixed out the window but solely on you. How long had he been staring? He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t have to; his eyes reveal everything. You could look at those beautiful eyes for the rest of your life and would still be just as enchanted as you are now. Your eyes drift from those crystal pools, following the curve of his nose, before they come to a halt on his lips. You have to know. 

The distance between those lips and yours slowly closes until they are a breath from touching. His eyes still don’t leave yours you discover when your eyes flick back up to them. His breath fans your cheeks as yours no doubt do the same to his. You can feel warmth radiating onto your lips from his. So close, oh so close; so close to finally finding out what those lips feel like, what they taste like. Your heart hammers in your chest and you wonder if he can hear it. Your cheeks are flushed a bright pink but you no longer care. All you want is to finally know. 

“Vergil.” His name leaves you in a breathy barely audible whisper; the urge to taste his name on your lips unbearable. 

Vergil’s eyes close for a moment and you are disappointed that he would deny you their hypnotic sight. “Aaron is waiting for you.” 

Vergil takes a step back and turns his back to you. You can feel your heart come crashing down from its high. Aaron is a damn good man, but there is one better and he’s standing a foot away. It’s time to make things crystal clear to everyone including yourself. 

“Vergil…” Your voice is soft. “Vergil, I-“ 

“Don’t.” He cuts off your confession knowing exactly what word would follow. 

You can feel tears build in your eyes, threatening to fall. “Vergil-“ 

“I cannot offer what you seek.” His words cut deeper than his sword ever could. The tears break free and fall down your cheeks. “I shall escort you to Dante’s.” 

You don’t even realize that you’re following him out the front door. Your mind doesn’t register him devil triggering, lifting you up or kicking off into the sky. Your mind is still trying to comprehend that his words mean. The city below seems grey compared to last night. But it’s not just the city; everything has lost its vibrancy. Everything seems to be just as dead as your heart. You pay no attention to the passing landscape and both of you quickly make your way to the city over where Aaron awaits safely within Devil May Cry. The wind bustling against you is strong enough to dry your ever falling tears. You don’t look at him, you can’t look at him. 

Vergil touches down in a narrow alleyway before he sets you on your feet and reverting back to his human form. Devil May Cry sits lined up right across the street from the alley. You don’t move; you just stand there. You can feel your body shaking and you do your best to control it with a deep breath. If this is what Vergil wants then you will do this for him. If he wants you to go in there and into Aaron’s arms; if he wants you to live out your life with Aaron, then you will. Not for yourself, but for him. You will do anything for Vergil, even if it’s not what you want. A thought enters your foggy mind. This must have been what Zaide felt like for all those years. 

You don’t turn around; you don’t beg for him to change his mind. You will do this for him and him alone. Aaron is a good man. Finally willing your body to move, you slowly make your way across the street and down the path that leads to Devil May Cry, feeling his eyes watching you all the way. You don’t look back; you climb the few steps and your hand wraps around the cold door handle. You start to pull open the door put pause to look back to find the alley empty. 

“Goodbye.” You whisper hoping that maybe he heard you even if chances are he didn’t. Your time with Vergil will be one that you will never forget. He terrified you, threatened you, hurt you, and left you broken. But worst of all, he made you fall for him. You open the door and step into Devil May Cry where Aaron rushes to embrace you. 

“You’re back.” Relief flooding his voice. “I was so worried. Are you okay?” 

You fight back fresh tears that want to fall. Yes, Aaron is a good man.


	43. Wedding Bells

Fate  
Chapter 43: Wedding Bells

_“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” -Buddha_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You stare at yourself in the large full body mirror. Your hair is styled beautifully and your body is clad in an elegant white dress. It had taken you forever to find the right one. But now here you stand moments away from the start of your wedding. After today you will be Aaron’s and he will be yours. 

You imagine your parents would be proud to see you now. They would have liked Aaron and you wish that they had that opportunity. When your dad was killed you had lost your last living relative. You have no family to dote on you or help you with all the planning that is involved with a wedding. However you were gifted with great friends and after today Aaron’s family will be your family as well. His mom and you had grown close and the two of you spend a lot of time together. With your mom dying when you were young you hadn’t realized how much you were missing out on not having her around. It was actually with her help that you were able to find your wedding dress. 

Despite this being your wedding however, what you’re exactly feeling is unclear. You’re happy to marry Aaron, but at the same time you’re not teeming with joy; there’s no excitement. Nervous, anxious, overjoyed, scared, thrilled, none are what you are feeling. Yes, you are happy but it’s accompanied by a hollow feeling. It has been three months since Vergil had left you at Devil May Cry. In that time a lot has happened. With the help of Delia and Dante, Aaron has come to accept the existence of demons, though you still keep him in the dark about what happened in that crypt. What happened down there was between you and Vergil you had told him, and he respected that; never asked about it or probed for information. You haven’t had any demon encounters since then either. It seems that with the knowledge of your curse essentially erased and without Vergil around demons have no reason to attack you. You’ve gone back to an ordinary, everyday person. 

With some help, you were able to lay Zaide to rest next to your mom, your dad on her other side. You’ve made it a habit to leave flowers on their graves at least once a week. And for the first time since you were there with Vergil five years ago, you had faced your personal demon and went back to your old house on your own. It was hard, harder than killing those demons in that crypt, and it had brought back a lot of bittersweet memories but you had done it none the less. You had gone through the house and packed away parts of your old life which are now in your and Aaron’s apartment. Everything else, including the house you had sold, which was more difficult than you thought it would be both emotionally and physically. Not many people want to move into a house where someone had been murdered after all. You haven’t been back to look at the house since. It is part of your past and it is best if it just stays in your memories. 

Vergil’s last words still ring in your head. _“I cannot offer what you seek.”_ It had taken you a while to figure out what he had meant. He had cared for you, that much was obvious. But despite that he had wanted you to be with Aaron. It wasn’t his heart he couldn’t offer, that is something you already posses. Vergil’s true wish was for you to be able to live out a normal life without the constant threat of a demon attack. He cannot change who he is. Vergil’s life will forever be tangled with the darkest creatures of the world. He can never escape that darkness and he didn’t want you to be trapped in it either. Vergil cannot offer you a life lived in the light; Aaron however can. 

When you had recognized that, you had come to realize how much he and Zaide are alike. They both did what was best for the person they cared so deeply for despite the pain it must have brought them to do so. And it is for that very reason that you stand in front of this mirror clad in white with friends waiting to watch your union with Aaron. This was Vergil’s wish and so you will grant it. 

You step away from the mirror and move to a small window. Your wedding is in a wooded park. It’s a perfect place for a quiet small wedding with close friends and soon to be family. The small visitor center that you currently find yourself in wasn’t much to rent out for the day either. The actual wedding will take place in the large field just outside. You stare out the window and into the woods that butt up against the one side of the visitor center. You hold up your hand and look at the object you had been clutching so dearly though the process of getting dressed and turned into a bride. 

A sad smile spreads on your lips as you stare numbly at the plush keychain cat. Having it with you gives you the strength not to chicken out; not to run away and leave Aaron at the alter and hunt down your blue eyed devil. You attach the keychain to your dress, hidden under a layer of fabric. You want to have it with you when you swear yourself to Aaron. 

A soft knock on the door gains your attention. “We’re ready.” Melody calls out cheerfully. 

“I’ll be right out.” You call back. And so the time has come it seems. Even if you can’t be with him, you still wish that he was here with you. “Vergil.” You whisper his name before taking one last look out the window and heading to the door. 

Opening the door you are greeted with warm sunlight; it is a perfect day. Before you sits friends and loved ones and at the end of the aisle stands Aaron. Music starts to play upon your entrance. You pause for a moment before you begin your grand walk down the aisle. You mentally count each step you take. 

One. _“The likes of you do not deserve to know such information and unless you want to end up like those thugs, then I strongly suggest that you leave me.” The man turns to continue on his way, only stopping to run a hand through his hair and slick it back._

Two. _“You asked for my name. It is Vergil.” With that, he continues on his way. You just stand there surprised and still slightly confused. “I’m not stopping if you fall behind girl.” His words snap you out of it and you realize what he meant. A small sense of relief washes over you knowing that you will be safe, at least for now._

Five. _“This is your last warning.” Vergil glares at Alice. “Leave her be. I won’t tell you a third time.” With that, Vergil sheaths his sword, before turning to you. “Return to the room. You are to remain there until I return.” You nod before Vergil jumps over the railing and lands with grace on the first floor._

Eight. _Suddenly, you are slammed against the fence, a hand snug around your neck, while the other hand remains on your shoulder. Your vision finally starts to clear and the noise of the world around you rushed back to you. “Keep struggling and I will kill you myself.”_

Twelve. _Your eyes widen slightly with curiosity at the bracelet around your wrist. Its polishes medium sized round beads are all white with a black bead here and there. As if he knows what you’re going to say before you say it Vergil explains. “It will ward off lesser demons and protect you from them.”_

Seventeen. _You watch Vergil make his way to the door before he pauses. “Call me,” He starts, his back is to you but he turns his head slightly. Vergil is never one to hesitate nor would you say he does. To hesitate is to show weakness. However in this moment he seems to for a split second. It’s such a slight pause however that you wonder if it even happened at all or if your mind is just playing tricks on you. “If you need me.”_

Your feet come to stop next to Aaron and you offer him a warm smile which he eagerly returns. He takes your hand in his before the two of you turn to face the priest. 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of these two souls in eternal love. If there be any who disagree, then let them speak now or forever hold your piece.” The priest begins. 

A part of you wishes that Vergil would appear out of nowhere. That he would walk down the aisle with his usual cold stoic demeanor grab you and take you away. But if that were to occur it would crush Aaron. Even if you don’t care for Aaron as much as Vergil, you do still care for him. After all there is a reason you had said yes to marring him. Aaron is a damn good man. He didn’t understand a single thing about demons or what went on months ago and yet he never left. He was even willing to face the demon in Delia’s shop after witnessing not only Vergil fall to it but Zaide as well; all to save you. 

When the priest’s question is only answered with silence he continues. “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to love and cherish in good and bad until death do you part?” 

“I do, with every fiber of my being.” Aaron answers with an uncontrollable grin. 

“And do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband to love and cherish in good and bad until death do you part?” 

You inhale a deep breath. “I do, until death do we part.” 

“Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest declares after rings are exchanged. “You may now kiss the bride.” 

You and Aaron turn to face each other, smiles still on both your lips. His hands are warm when he cups your face. Leaning in, Aarons lips met your own in a gentle, heartfelt kiss. You can hear your family and friends cheering and clapping in joy. Your lips finally part and enthusiastic music starts playing. Taking your arm in his, the two of you make your way down the aisle, now husband and wife.


	44. Yours

Fate  
Chapter 44: Yours

_“I’m in love with you because of a million tiny things you never knew you were doing.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taking your arm in his, the two of you make your way down the aisle, now husband and wife. You smile at your friends as you pass them by. They, along with your new family, cheer loudly. Even the birds seem to chirp and sing in loud congratulations to you and your new husband. Your hand that isn’t in Aaron’s arm brushes against the every so slight bulge on your dress where your keychain is hidden beneath. 

Aaron holds open the door to the visitor center for you to enter before he guides you to the large reception area; your guests talking loudly as they follow. The two of you make your way up onto a small stage where Aaron pulls out a chair at the large table that sits there. You watch him take the seat next to you as your guests slowly find their own seats. 

Once seated, the caterers bring out a plate of food for everyone as well as drinks. With everyone settled, Aaron stands wine glass in his hand. 

“Five years ago I found the love of my life.” Aaron starts. “At that time in my life I had thought her to be an angel sent down from heaven. But today, I know that for a fact. This amazing woman that sits next to me has only made my life better since we first met. She has made me a better man; a man I can only hope is worthy enough to be with someone as grand as her. Despite all the trials and hard times we’ve been through we have always been there for each other, and always will be. I am proud to call such a pure hearted woman such as her my wife. Every single day I will do my best and try my hardest to make her the happiest woman on this green earth.” 

The crowd applause and a few whistles can be heard when Aaron leans down to kiss you. After eating you and Aaron share your first dance. The music is beautiful, and the atmosphere is perfect. Aaron holds you close in his arms as the two of you sway and move to the soft elegant music. It’s like a fairytale weeding that every girl dreams of since she was little. You only wish that your parents were here to see it; to see you right now in this moment. 

Just as the song comes to an end the ground starts to shake and a thunderous rumble rolls through the park. You almost fall but Aaron is there to steady you. Chairs topple over, glasses, plates and decorations come crashing to the floor, and guests fall down. Aaron doesn’t let go of you; not until the shaking subsides. 

“An earthquake?” Aaron questions. 

“There’s never been one around here before.” You frown and pull away from your husband. Loved ones help each other up off the floor. Thankfully it doesn’t look like anyone is hurt. 

“What’s happening to your wrist?!” Aaron’s concerned question gains your curiosity. 

You hold up your wrist to see the markings from the protector’s bracelet glow. Instead of its past angry red, the glow is a light blue that brings your thoughts to Vergil. It was orange before his inner devil had awakened. After it had and was trying to kill you it was the hate filled red of his devil. But now, with that demonic essence deeming you worthy and just as much a part of you as your arm, it is a beautiful crystal blue. 

“It’s a warning that something bad is about to happen.” You explain. You slip out of your shoes to be able to run with better ease. You dart to through the crowd of confused guests to the door. Throwing open the door you run out into the field before your feet freeze at the sight before you. You don’t notice Aaron running to stand next to you or your guests emerging from the visitor center to investigate what had happened. No; your eyes are too focused on the large smooth stone wall like structure that towers over the tree line yards away. 

“What the hell is that?!” You hear Melody ask. 

“I have an unfortunate feeling that Hell is exactly the right word.” You answer not taking your eyes off of it once. 

The structure starts to change into a swirl of colors and glow ever so slightly. The spinning colors settle to leave it looking like the rippling surface of a pond. As you gaze into it you realize that the other side of that ponds surface isn’t exactly candy land. Beyond it you can make out a black sky and a flat landscape. 

“It’s a door.” You mutter to yourself. Then you see them. Charging in a seemingly stampede towards your side. Their red otherworldly eyes are filled with one thing; blood lust. 

“A door to what?” Aaron asks seeing the demons breach the portal and enter your world. 

“Hell.” You quickly turn to your guests. “Everyone get back inside _now!_ Barricade the windows and block the doors. Do whatever you have to, to lock the building down!” 

You friends and family do as you say and make a run for the brick building. Aaron grabs your arm and tries to pull you along but you break free from him. 

“What are you doing?!” He yells panicked. 

“Go!” You shove him towards the building. 

“Not without you!” 

“I’m the only one that can fight these things. I won’t let those demons get close to the building. I just got a family and I’ll be damned if I let them get eaten, especially on my wedding.” 

“You can’t fight those things! They’ll kill you in a minute!” 

You reach under your dress to where your gun is secured to your thigh. Even though you haven’t so much as seen a demon since Vergil had left you again, you have always carried it with you, knowing all too well that it’s possible to run into one at any time; you just didn’t think that ‘any time’ would be on your wedding. 

“I’ve killed them before. Besides, if I don’t at least try then we might as well be tuna in a can waiting to get eaten.” You push Aaron again towards the building when a horde of demons breach the tree line on the far side of the field. “Go look after the others!” 

“I’m not leaving you out here to die!” Aaron yells. As sweet as his intentions are you don’t have time to have your first argument as a married couple. You push him into the building and slam the door shut behind him. Grabbing a nearby chair from the ceremony you stick it in front of the door effectively blocking it from being opened from the inside. 

Turning back to face the demons you expect the bracelet’s swords to shoot out of the markings like they always have. They don’t however; instead like a magic trick light blue swords appear out of nowhere before and admits the demon horde. The move with a speed and furry you have only seen from Vergil himself. They don’t shatter when they hit their targets; instead they rip right through before going on to the next. While the red swords had trouble with sharp turns, the blue ones seem to have none; zigzagging through foe after foe with ease. This is the true essence of Vergil’s power. 

You hold your gun at the ready and take aim, shooting into the flesh of demons as you slowly walk away from the building towards the right side of the large field. If you can lure the horde away from the building you can come up with a plan. At least then everyone will be safer. Unfortunately with every demon you kill more seem to pour out through the portal like bugs scattering. 

Piles of dust and black sand litter the field that has become a battle field. There’s so many of them. Your attention is drawn to the visitor center and your heart stops. A demon rips the thick wooden door off its hinges and screams erupt from within. 

“Oh no you don’t!” You inhale and hold a breath, take aim, and pull the trigger. Panic courses though you when you miss. Retaking your aim, you try again. Just as the demon sets a single clawed foot within the building your bullet digs its way through the creatures head, killing it. Aaron pokes his head out the door less entrance. His eyes grow wide with horror when he notices you a football field’s length away. 

“What are you thinking?!” He yells and makes a run for you. He skids to a stop and grabs your arm forcefully. “Come on!” He tries to drag you back towards the building. 

Time seems to slow down. You can feel the ground shake with the weight of heavy, large footsteps. You and Aaron turn at the same time to gaze in horror at a giant demon. It takes aim at Aaron with its large sword. You can see the demon thrust its sword forward and can feel your feet move beneath you of their own accord. You shove Aaron to the side and he falls to the ground just as the sword cuts into your stomach and reappears out your back. 

Your once pure dress now stained red with blood. You gasp in air wide-eyed at the realization of what just happened. Pain floods your body and the demon withdraws its blade. You stand hunched over, hands pressed over your wound. You can feel your warm blood ooze through your fingers. Light blue swords shoot furiously at the creature but are unable to do much damage due to the demons thick hide. It raises its sword once more to go in for the kill before an unbelievable strong gust of wind whips across the field, cutting everything in its wake. The demons torso slides to the ground behind it with a sickening slopping sound. The lower half follows before both turn into black ash. 

Unable to remain standing, you collapse back onto the grass. It’s only when you’re on your back looking at it do you notice how dark the sky has gotten with thick black clouds. You allow your eyes to close, tears raining down your cheeks. Aaron starts to crawl over to you but freezes in place when three blue swords appear out of nowhere, all pointed at his throat. You can hear the grass crunch quietly under the weight of footfalls. Worry fills your mudded mind. It’s no doubt a demon. Aaron needs to get out of here. 

The footsteps stop next to you and you feel something slide beneath your shoulders to bring your upper body off the grass. Opening your eyes you are met with the enchanting blue of Vergil’s orbs. He is kneeling next to you, cradling you close to him with a hand on your upper back. Any demons that dare to get close are instantly and ruthlessly slain by the blue swords and you realize that, while they appear identical, they aren’t the swords from the bracelet, rather they are Vergil’s. 

You offer a weak smile as you gaze up at him. “You came.” 

“You called.” His reply comes out soft yet still holds it’s ever present sternness. 

Tears continue to fall from your eyes but for a different reason now. When you had whispered his name before the ceremony; he had heard you. Warmth fills your heart. If he heard you then, is it possible that he had heard you all the other times you spoke his name over the past few months? Something in your heart tells you that he did. 

Your smile grows. “I missed you. There was so many times where I wanted to go out and look for you. I want to say that I wished for nothing more than to see you one more time, but that’s not true, no, that’s not true at all. I wanted more than that; one time wouldn’t have been enough. I wanted to see you a thousand, a million times. Fate must be cruel that you are finally with me now. I’m dying Vergil; I can feel it.” 

You reach up with one of your hands, not caring if it’s covered in blood, and rest it against his cheek. You can see it, deep down in those eyes of his; the pain you’re feeling from your fatal wound is nothing compared to that pain and sorrow that swirl in his orbs. His skin is warm and soft against your hand. “I know why you did what you did; why you left again. You are forever bound to the world of demons and devils and there will never be a time where they don’t haunt you. You live a dark existence that can never be anything different. That’s why you wanted me to stay with Aaron. He can offer me a life you never can. But you never asked me what I wanted. When I met Aaron I thought you were dead. I grieved. Then you came back. Aaron is an amazing man but he isn’t the one I want. Even if all you can offer is darkness I want you. Even if being with you means that I will be tossed into that same darkness; so long as I am with you no matter how dark things get I’ll know everything will be okay. I know everything will be okay _because_ I’d be with you.” 

Vergil’s fingers come up to brush away your tears. His face starts to grow blurry with your failing vision and your hand grows too weak to remain against his cheek and it falls. “Vergil, please. Everything we did and went through, I don’t want it all to be for nothing.” 

Vergil doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. The frown on his lips deepens slightly at your plea. “You are certain?” 

“Yes. The thought of all that we did go to waste- If it were to be anyone, I’d want it to be you. Please.” 

Without another word, Vergil draws Yamato and rests the tip against your chest above your heart. “Vergil,” Tears continue to roll down your face. “It was always you. Five years ago right to this very second; it was you. I love you.” 

Without moving Yamato, Vergil leans down and captures your lips. His lips are even softer and warmer than you ever could have dreamed of. You try your hardest to return the pressure. Finally, you know. It is quick and without an ounce of pain. Yamato pierces your heart without Vergil ever breaking contact with your lips. With your life coming to an end at the hands of the devil you love, Vergil slowly pulls away. 

Vergil’s eyes widen with a sudden surge of power coursing through his veins; power that you had gifted him with. He can feel his newfound strength though every fiber in his body. Carefully, he pulls Yamato out of your body and gently, as if your body were made of fragile glass, he sets it upon the ground. 

A scream erupts from Aaron’s throat. “You killed her?! You killed my wife! She trusted you and you just killed her!!” Tears flood down his face. 

Ignoring Aaron, Vergil stands and with Yamato tightly within his grip starts towards the stone structure. He only gets a few feet before he pauses. Aaron slips around the threatening swords and tries to make it to you. However, a few feet before he can blue swords surround your body creating a circular dome around you. Aaron can barely make out your body through the gaps of the seemingly countless swords. Another sword appears right before him so close its tip digs into Aaron’s chest. 

“Touch her, and I _will_ kill you boy.” Is Vergil’s only warning. Satisfied that nothing will get so much as near your body, human or demon alike, Vergil continues towards the structure and the countless demons with an anger that rivals his new found power. You had given him this power, and he sure as hell is going to put it to use.


	45. Devil’s Wrath

Fate  
Chapter 45: Devil’s Wrath

_“Somewhere out there maybe even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one.” –Lady (Devil May Cry 3)_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aaron watches Vergil walk the yards across the field. His pace is no quicker than a fast walk and he pays no attention to the countless that surround him. For the entire length of the field, every single demon that Vergil passes freezes in place. A few demons who are ahead of him charge at him. They leap into the air, weapons drawn ready to taste blood. Before they can land their blows on Vergil however, they, like all the demons behind him, freeze; in midair. 

Through it all, Vergil’s gaze doesn’t move from an inch from the stone portal. He comes to a stop at the far side of the field just before the tree line. Aaron’s eyes grow wide with astonishment, hardly able to comprehend what he’s seeing. At once, as if someone hit the play button on a remote, the unmoving demon horde falls to the ground. Black blood sprays onto the grass as their bodies are sliced into unrecognizable chunks of flesh. Even the very ground cracks slightly from the power of Vergil’s attack. 

It takes a moment for Aaron to realize that the whole time Vergil had been seemingly casually walking across the field he was unleashing his wrath upon the demons. He had moved so quickly that Aaron’s eyes never picked up the attack. Those demons were dead the moment they were frozen. Fear rushes through Aaron at the thought that anything- _anyone_ could possess that much power. It’s just now possible and yet he was just a witness to it. 

Vergil gazes at the structure with a barely controlled frenzied rage. He can still feel your lips on his own. Like a ghost, you haunt him. This is what he tried so hard to avoid. He had watched his mother fall to demons; too weak to save her. On that day he had vowed he would never again feel that pain. He grew stronger, and kept to his own. His life had been spent in search of more power, the power of his father, the power that could have saved his mother. He would never again be that weak. 

Then you happened to stubble into his life. When he first met you, you were just a pathetic, sniveling girl; not worth his name let alone his time. Then a few nights later you ran into his life again, a demon at your heels. If that demon had never decided to target him then he wouldn’t have bothered to kill it and you would have died right then and there. He wanted nothing to do with you nor cared about your situation. But when you had babbled onto him about how you just witnessed your father’s death; something deep down stirred in him. It was on a whim that he had let you come with him; a whim born from pity and the remembrance of his own mother’s death. 

You were still nothing, just a weak foolish human like all the rest that were below him. There had been times when he had the urge to kill you and be ride of you. You were like a sniveling lost child and he had no time to deal with you. However, that changed somewhere along the way. Somewhere along the line you had gained his notice, curiosity, and finally respect. The longer he had spent with you the more he noticed that you were unlike other humans. You knew of his heritage, believed it, and had accepted it. You had faced demon after demon, completely defenseless and yet you never turned from him; no you had remained by his side ignorant of his plans and intent. He became curious when you had told him of your mother’s death. It had matched the death that Arkham had told him of; though you were blind to the knowledge that the true murderers were demons and not some lowly human scum. His respect you gained by your almost death. You were willing to sacrifice your life rather than betray him to the werewolves. For whatever reason, you hadn’t even told him about the poison that was coursing through your veins. Then, on the brink of death, you chose to fight. You had stood up to your fate and asked him to change it; and he had, for a time. 

You were different. You, a normal human, had gotten through his defenses. You had grown to become his weakness. He could never offer you a normal life; a life that you deserved. He has seen the way you would look at others as they went about their average lives. The only life he could ever offer was clad in the thickest of darkness. He had let go of you so that you would be safe and could have a life with Aaron. However it seems that even without him in your life you were tied to the dark. Demons had still found you. You had died just as his mother had and that very same pain once more finds his heart. 

You had died to save that pathetic boy, Aaron. He had sent you to Aaron so that you would be safe. It is because of that lowly boy that you died. Perhaps if he didn’t let you go; had kept you with him you would still be alive. With him you may have lived a life in darkness but at least he would have been standing by your side to assure your safety himself. You had freed him of his fate of servitude, but he had failed to save you from your fate to die. He wanted power so that he would never have to feel this pain again. Now he has the power he had always craved but he could care less about it. He only wishes to be able to hear your voice, see your smile and feel your lips. This power is meaningless to him; he would give it all up if it brought you back to him. 

With each step Vergil takes through the woods towards the stone structure his fury and hate grow; the bark on the tree’s he passes crack under the pure magnitude of his unbridled rage. The demons that litter the woods meet the same fate as the horde in the field had. A demon rushes towards him and Vergil pauses only momentarily in his stride. His cold eyes leer at the demon before the creature falls to the ground in a pool of its own blood. Vergil’s attack was swift. So swift in fact that even the demon with its inhuman senses hadn’t notice Vergil move in for the attack at all. Though the demons continue to pour through the portal, they all are immediate to fall under Vergil’s wrath. 

Ahead of him, the tree’s open up to a small clearing where the structure awaits him. He gazes up at it with a frown. It was a gate to hell, but it wasn’t _the_ gate to hell that his father had closed. This _thing_ had been made by man. However the questions in Vergil’s mind are ‘who’ and ‘why’. His eyes travel down the false Hell Gate to the base where he spots a dark haired woman clad in a white frilly dress who is scribbling furiously on a pad of paper. 

“You are the one that brought forth this abomination.” Vergil’s voice is like ice water; it isn’t a question. 

“Hold on a second or I’ll lose my train if thought.” The woman, who continues to take down notes, doesn’t seem unnerved at all by the dark aura that surrounds the blue eyed devil. A sharp gust passes the woman and in an instant her notes are shredded and fall to the ground before they are scattered by a breeze. An angry growl leaves the woman’s lips and she turns her attention towards Vergil whose hand is gripped on the handle of his sheathed sword. To say that Vergil isn’t in the mood is an understatement. 

“Hey you jerk! Those were important research notes! Agnus will be pissed if I come back empty handed!” Her blue eyes filled with annoyance as she pouts. “The name is Xion, a proud member of the Order of the Sword and you’re interfering with official business!” 

In an instant Vergil is gone and reappears next to the girl; his hand on Yamato. A flash of light sweeps across the girl- well, sweeps across where she once had been. Vergil sheath’s Yamato. He doesn’t have to look behind him to know the girl is there with a high caliber gun aimed at his head. As the bullet leaves the gun Vergil side steps; the bullet misses him and instead finds its way into the skull of a demon that had just made its way out of the fake Hell Gate. 

With an elegant spin the tails of his coat flutter out and he unleashes a powerful slash at the Xion across the clearing. The attack whips across the long grass with a gust of wind that easily cuts down anything in its way. Just before the attack lands on her however, the girl disappears in a swarm of bats. A few of the bats are cut down by Vergil’s attack; the others having dodged it. Successfully having dodged his attack, the bats swarm in a tight cluster just above the ground; forming back into the girl. 

“That hurt you bastard!” Xion shrieks; her hand clutching a gash on her arm. 

Vergil’s only response is to send another lightning fast attack her way only to have the girl once again turn into the bat swarm and dodge it. As the girl materializes blue swords surround her and thrust forward. Caught off guard the swords impale the girl, soaking her white dress red with her blood. One hand gripping a wound, she holds up her gun and shoots at the approaching Vergil; who easily sidesteps the bullets like child’s play. 

“If you think that killing me will stop The Order from delivering this world from evil then you’re wasting your time.” Xion chocks out. “His most holy will ascend and be reborn an angel!” 

“You assume I care.” Vergil leers at her as his hand tightly grips Yamato’s handle. Xion’s brows scrunch together in confused anger. She opens her mouth to speak; however before she gets a single sound out her head falls from her shoulders and lands in the grass with a heavy ‘thunk’. 

With Xion dead, Vergil turns his attention to the false Hell Gate. His eyes narrow at the abomination. It was because of this _thing_ that you were killed; taken from this world- from him. With an ever growing fury, Vergil swiftly draws Yamato. With graceful, powerful swipes the false Hell Gate is cut apart and starts to crumble, closing the portal to Hell. 

His breathing stops for a moment and his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise; something that he rarely experiences. Vergil’s pale blue orbs are glued to the portal as it crumbles to the ground with an echoing rumble. Returning Yamato to its sheath, Vergil takes off back towards where he had left your body with a quick stride. 

Though such a thing is surly impossible, Vergil knows what his eyes saw just as the structure collapsed. He enters the field where his dome of spiral swords still guard your body ferociously; slightly disappointed to find that Aaron is still alive and hadn’t moved an inch; swords still pressed into his chest daring him to move. He ignores the terrified faces and gasps of the crowd that gaze out of the visitor center. Vergil’s eyes remained locked on the swords that protect your body from the world. When approaches them, they shatter at once, fragments disintegrating before they touch you or the ground. Swords no longer digging into his skin, Aaron takes in a large shaky breath and watches Vergil knees next to you. 

A deep frown paints itself on Vergil’s lips as he gazes down at you. Your skin is as white as his hair; your body is as icy cold as his eyes. The sight makes the pain he hides deep within himself grow. Reaching to the chain around his neck, he lifts the amulet his mother gave him over his head and carefully places it around your neck; the red stone incased in gold rests on your chest. Slowly and gently, as if you would break, Vergil slides his arms under your body and lifts you up when he stands. Without a word he turns his back to Aaron and the cowering guests and starts to walk away. 

“Hey!” Aaron scurries to his feet, tears still in his eyes. “What are you doing?! Put her down! I won’t let you take her! You’re the one that killed her, you monster!” 

Vergil pauses but doesn’t turn. His voice comes out so bitterly cold that it sends a shudder through Aaron’s body. “Her death is on you just as much as that demon.” 

“I didn’t kill her you did! I tried to save her! I tried to get her to safety!” Tears drench Aaron’s face. “Please don’t take her; I won’t let you! Set her down now!! I-I’m not afraid o-of you! She needs to be with me! She’s my wife!” 

The atmosphere around Vergil instantly grows heavy and thick with a dark fury. Even the clouds above turn darker and the wind picks up to an angry rush. “Until death do you part.” Vergil’s voice comes out deeper, rougher, an almost predatory growl. He turns halfway and Aaron feels his bladder lose control at the sight of Vergil’s demonic red eyes, narrowed to almost slits, glaring at him with all the wrath of Hell itself. “She’s mine now.” 

Shifting you to one arm, Vergil turns his back to Aaron and draws Yamato. The blade glows black with a dark aura before Vergil slashes the air before him. The air rips apart and forms into a small portal. If he hadn’t the power of your curse then he would have thought ripping and entrance to Hell impossible. Vergil’s strong legs carry him forward and through; the portal closing behind the two of you. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s cold, so bitterly cold. Darkness and deafening silence surrounds you. You try to move but to no avail. Where are you? You remember your wedding, Aaron and the strange structure. You remember the demons and pushing Aaron out of the way. But most of all, you remember Vergil; the sadness hidden in the depth of his enchanting blue eyes. He came; he came but your fate was already sealed. You miss him. You want to see him again; want to be by his side so that he won’t have to walk alone in the darkness of the world. However such a thing is now impossible. You died. 

You have no regrets. The past five years were borrowed time; you realize this and accept it. You were fated to be killed. The only reason why you hadn’t met your fate sooner was because Vergil had guarded you from it. But one can only hold off fate for so long. Those thugs would have ended your life but you had met Vergil that day. He had killed them saving you from your fate the first time. Then again with the lion demon that had taken your dad’s life. All of those demons attacks, the one disguised as a man asking for help with his car, Alice, the demons that killed Aela and their poison, Arkham, that boar demon when you were in that mansion looking for the book, the werewolves and their poison, his demonic essence trying to kill you with the protector’s bracelet, the demons from the car crash in the park, the attack in Delia’s shop, Lorelei and her demons including Vergil himself. All of those were times when fate had tried to claim you. But with each time, one way or another, Vergil was there and stopped it either himself or by giving you strength to fight. Since the very beginning you were meant to be killed by the darker things in the world. But you couldn’t avoid your fate for long. It had finally caught up to you and took you. You are dead. 

You can’t help but to wonder. Is this what it’s like to be dead? Nothingness? You had almost died before and each time you could hear your mother. It was always pleasant. But now, there is nothing but a void of darkness and despair. Sudden horrific pain shoots through your entire being. You want to cry out- try to cry out but no sound leaves you. With each passing second, the pain intensifies as does your suffering. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vergil is met with nothing but flat, dry, cracked barren land for as far as the eye can see. Above, thick black clouds block out any light and coat the landscape in darkness. A continuous gust of freezing wind rushes across the land. There is no life in this place. This is the same place that was on the other side of the false Hell Gate. Even if it was just a brief glimpse as the gate crumbled, Vergil knows what he saw on the other side. His sharp eyes scan the barren dark horizon until they lock onto a cave in the far distance; appearing as only a speck. There. Tightening his grip on your cold body, Vergil darts towards the cave. 

The ground crumbles behind him into a dark abyss. As it grows larger and larger red eyed demons emerge from its black depths. Keeping your body safe in one arm, with his free hand Vergil wields Yamato as he runs, cutting down the seemingly endless army of demons that stand against him. Fighting his way closer, the cave comes into view. Right at the mouth of the cave, he finds what he seeks however demons surround it, torturing it, trying to turn the soul lost in Hell into that of a demon. Teleporting above the ground to get a clear shot above the demon horde that surrounds him, Vergil forcefully brings Yamato down. A powerful gust of wind follows his attack across the few yards to where it strikes and shreds the demons torturing the soul into nothing more than piles of dust that are carried away by the bone chilling wind. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the pain is unbearable and you feel like breaking, it vanishes. A voice; you can hear a voice calling out to you. At first you believe it to belong to your mother but you realize that it’s not. No; you know this voice. This is the voice that makes your very soul flare to life with love. Admits the darkness you find yourself floating in, you can see a light. Reaching out, you touch it and the darkness around you shatters like a mirror; and that’s when you see him. Vergil fighting his way towards you through a sea of black demons; his eyes are bright red and filled with wrath as he cuts down swarms of demons one after another. You can only watch in amazement not at his power but for his reasoning; his motivation. If he didn’t want to be here then he wouldn’t be and yet Vergil is fighting his way through Hell itself, for you; for only you. 

When the last demon finally falls he turns his attention towards your white transparent form. You smile at him and reach out for him with a hand. Suddenly you are dragged backwards into the cave and away from Vergil. No matter how hard you struggle you can’t seem to break free from the invisible force that pulls you deep into the black cave. In an instant, Vergil races in after you. You feel something cold wrap around you and hold you high in the air. Looking behind you as much as you can you realize that a large shadowy devil holds you in the tight grip of one of its big hands. 

“Ah, son of Sparda.” The devil speaks. “I am surprised. I did not expect to run into you this way.” 

“Release her.” Vergil growls lowly. 

“Oh?” The devil’s voice full of curiosity; not intimidated in the least bit. “You carried her body all the way here. I should have known. You are _his_ son after all. A weakness for humans is in your blood. Hear me now son of Sparda, my name is Fatum and this girl’s soul belongs to me and no other. Her fate is death.” 

In the whole time you have known him; you have never seen Vergil hold a look of pure and utter hatred as you do now. The ground itself seems to tremble and shake in pure fear. “That is not for you to decide.” 

In an instant he is gone from where he stood. The devil lets out a surprised grunt when Yamato digs deeply into its back; catching it off guard. The hand around you disappears and you fall to the ground. You try to move when the devil reaches for you once more but find that you are still unable. You stare up at the black devil with fear but in a flash of blue, Vergil appears, placing himself between you and the devil. Yamato slices into the devil’s hand, cutting off its fingers before another blow digs into the monsters stomach, pushing it back a few yards. 

Vergil spins around to gaze at where you stand. A smile spreads on you and you reach out for him once more. When your transparent hand brushes his face a blinding light fills your vision. Opening your eyes with a soft groan, you find yourself being held in Vergil’s arm; your face resting against his shoulder. Although you are cold and feel weak, air rushes into your lungs and your heart beats in your chest once more. While your dress is still torn and dyed red with your blood, the actual wound from where you were impaled on the demon’s sword is gone; fully healed. 

Fighting the weakness in your body, you lift your head up to gaze at Vergil’s face; inches from your own. The red recedes from his eyes as they return to their brilliant blue that you love so much. His face is just as unreadable as ever however the single stream of moisture dancing down his cheek tells you everything. With a hand, you reach up and wipe it away. 

“Vergil.” Your voice whispers his name. 

“Hold on.” 

You do as he tells you and wrap your arms around his neck. You can feel his grip on you tighten and his body tenses then in the next moment Yamato is raised high above his back, blocking the blow from a large black blade from behind. Swiftly Vergil spins to the side and the devil’s blade crashes into the ground where you both once were. The world around you is a blur of movement that makes your head spin and you tighten your arms around Vergil. When your vision clears you watch as the devil’s arm is cut from its body and falls to the floor. The screech that it releases echoes of the cave walls and hurts your ears. You close your eyes and burry your face in the crook of Vergil’s neck. You can feel the gust of wind that accompanies his rapid movement before he stills. Looking up you discover that you are just outside the cave. 

“Can you stand?” Vergil’s voice is quiet. 

“I think so.” You nod and he gently sets you on your feet but keeps his arm around your waist to steady you. 

Using Yamato, Vergil slices a portal to your world a few feet away. “You must go.” 

“What about you?” You frown worried. The look in his eyes tells you all. He’s staying. That devil is still alive and thus there is nothing keeping it from taking you from him again. Your hand digs into the side of your dress and pulls out the plush keychain before placing it in his hand. “I want this back, you hear me.” 

Vergil’s hand tightly grasps the keychain understanding. “I _will_ return to you.” 

A thunderous roar booms out and the cave collapses when the devil reappears, doubled in size and full of rage. Your eyes dart between the monster and Vergil before you nod and offer a smile. 

“I’ll wait.” 

“Go.” Vergil turns his back to you to face his powerful enemy. You do as he commands and run through the portal; it closes behind you. 

You are welcomed back into your world with bright sunshine and birds once more chirping as if the park hadn’t been swarmed with demons at all. Tree’s surround you. A few feet ahead of you is the field your wedding took place. You stay in the shadows and hide behind a thick tree. Peaking around it, you watch the scene before you. The police have arrived and are tending to the injured as well as getting what you can only assume are witness statements. Black dust litters the field from the slain demons. And there, sitting on the back of an ambulance in tears, is Aaron. A frown finds your lips. 

A part of you wants to go to him; tell him that you are alive and okay. But you don’t. Your vows were until death do you part and you had died. And even so your heart belongs to a certain blue eyed devil. As much as it pains you, you don’t move. Aaron, Melody, and all of the wedding guests; they all belong to a world that you can no longer be a part of. You had tried to return to that world of light and innocence once and it not only cost you your life but put those you cared for in danger as well. Rejected by the light, you embrace the darker world that had found you five years ago; the world of demons and monsters; his world. It will be best for everyone if they think you are dead. 

You whisper your last goodbye to your loved ones and turn to head deeper into the woods. Something shining in the sun below your vision gains you attention and you look down and smile. There around your neck rests Vergil’s amulet. You’ll wait for him. No matter how long it takes, a month or a hundred years, you’ll wait. Just as you had freed him from the chains of his fate, Vergil had freed you from yours. As you walk you gaze up into the clear blue sky and inhale deeply. You’ll wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three notes:  
> 1) If for some reason you DIDN'T get it, (don't really see how you could miss it) is that the location in Hell is where you had dreamed about for the past five years. 
> 
> 2) The demon's name, Fatum, is Latin for 'fate' (When in doubt about naming anything demonic, go for Latin) so Vergil is quit _literally_ fighting fate for you. 
> 
> 3) Keeping with the DMC tradition of devil's crying, I had Vergil shed a tear when you were brought back. (It was _really_ weird to write the cold hearted Vergil crying. I hope I didn't make it seem to soft and squishy...  >_> ) for those of you who don't know about that little tradition DMC1 Trish cries, DMC2 Lucia cries, DMC3 Dante cries, DMC4 Nero cries.


	46. Feels Like Home

Fate  
Chapter 46: Feels Like Home

_“Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.” -Unknown_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The setting sun sends streaks of color across the sky and reflects off of the buildings. A content smile spreads on your lips as you make your way to your destination; the item you had been sent out to get gripped in your hand. It has been just over six years since the day your dad was killed. You don’t visit your family’s graves much anymore. Aaron and your friends, thinking you are dead, had placed a headstone with your name on it next to your parents and Zaide’s even though they didn’t have anything to bury. When you had first visited the grave yard after your wedding you were surprised and touched to have found it with fresh flowers placed before it. 

After that you had moved into an apartment in a new town with a friend you had made. It’s a smaller apartment, but you it has great views and isn’t far from your new job. After the Lorelei incident you had joked about finding a quiet secretary job, and oddly enough that’s what you ended up with. While your boss is an ass and the pay is minimal it’s enough to pay for your apartment and you rather enjoy sorting through papers, answering phone calls and running small errands all day; such as you are right now. 

Since you had died, the curse that had haunted your family for generations is finally broken. Demons are still very much a part of your life; typically having an encounter every other day or so. However, they don’t faze you anymore then running into a stray cat would and thanks to the protector’s bracelet as well as your firearm training, you are able to easily hold your own against lesser demons. 

It turned out that that stone structure at your wedding was an experiment on demons by some religious cult group who called themselves The Order of the Sword. If you recall what you were told, they worshiped Sparda and tried to make people join their cause by saving them from demons…that they had summoned and sent upon the poor people themselves. You’re actually very fortunate that the fake Hell Gate was summoned so close to your wedding. While it had brought the demon that killed you, it was because of its close range that your soul was sucked into Hell instead of joining your parents wherever they are. If it had been a little further away and your soul wasn’t captured by it then Vergil would never have been able to bring you back. You round the corner leading to your work; staring at the red neon sign as you make your way up to the building. Inside you hear raised voices. 

“This is your fault old man!” 

“Isn’t it your bed time kid? You get cranky when you miss your naps.” 

“Want to say that again old man?!” 

A set of eyes turn their attention to you when you walk through the door “You’re a beautiful sight babe.” 

You shake your head as you cross the room. You offer Nero a small smile, which he returns, before turning your attention to the man sitting behind the desk. “Only because I was able to pull some strings and get you a pizza; honestly Dante do you have any idea how much your tab is there?” You set the pizza box down on his desk. Argument temporarily defused, Nero makes his way over to the warn leather couch and sits down. 

Dante flips open the lid before grabbing a slice. “Nope, that’s what I pay you for babe.” 

“Ah, right,” You grab a slice for yourself and sit on the edge of Dante’s desk. “That green stuff you throw my way once in a while to keep me from finding a different job. If I left then you’d have no one to convince the local restaurants for another pizza or sundae despite your debt. They’re getting harder to bribe by the way so you might want to consider throwing a few bucks their way.” 

“Thinking about donating to the cause?” Dante grins. 

“No way in hell,” You scowl. “Besides since you never paid me two weeks ago I’m just as tight on cash as you are.” 

“I can think of a few ways to pay you that you’d enjoy.” Dante winks. You know he’s joking. It’s nothing more than him trying to fluster you simply for his enjoyment. You open your mouth for a snarky reply when the front door opens gaining your attention. 

“I suppose it’s too much to hope for that you have my money Dante.” Lady’s heels click across the warn floorboards where they come to a halt at Dante’s desk. 

“What am I a bank?” 

“A crappy one.” Nero mutters causing a giggle to escape you. 

“If the jobs that are lined up pay out and if Dante doesn’t destroy half the city doing them, then I’ll have half of what we owed you last week.” You explain. “That’s the best I can do with the electric bill coming up.” 

“At least with you around I’ve been getting a little more of my money from him.” 

With your pizza slice finished you hop off of the desk. “Well, I’m done for the day. Need anything else; you guys are on your own. Try not to destroy the place to much by tomorrow.” 

“No promises babe the kid’s been throwing temper tantrums all day.” 

“Screw you old man!” Nero glares at Dante. 

“I am many things kid and a pedophile isn’t one of them; sorry for your loss.” Dante retorts. You shake your head as their argument resumes; you knew it would only be a matter of time. 

“If you’re heading back to home I’ll give you a ride.” Lady follows you to the door. 

“I thought you said this morning that you had a late mission tonight; something about vampires if I recall.” 

“Yeah, but I need to pick up something really quick before heading out.” She explains. 

“I’ll take you up on that offer. It beats walking all the way home.” Your smile quickly fades when a loud crash can be heard coming from inside the shop. “It’s like I can hear money saying goodbye going towards repair costs. Don’t ask me how he manages to stay in business.” 

Lady straddles her motorcycle and it roars to life beneath her. Getting on behind her, you wrap your hands around your waist before she pulls out onto the street. The sun has now fully set and the city lights illuminate the streets like a Christmas tree. The welcomed wind is cool as it dances across your skin and through your hair. 

The past few years have been a roller-coaster and a time that you will never forget. Your life had been turned upside down but for the first time since your dad died you have a feeling of belonging that even your time with Aaron didn’t achieve to this volume. You feel free, like a weight that you didn’t even know was there lifted. You can breathe and live and be you. Demons may have ruined your life, but you have found a new one. Working for Dante, helping those who are in the same place as you had been six years ago; having Lady train you with your gun and having her as a roommate; this, this is where you were always meant to be. You live in the dark world of demons and monsters, but you’re not alone. This is the life you were always meant to live. 

The motorcycle comes to a stop in front of your apartment. Getting off the bike, you follow Lady inside and ride the elevator up. The two of you make your way into your dimly lit apartment. Lady disappears into her room and you make your way to your own with a clean clothes and a hot shower at the front of your mind. Pushing open your door you pause in the doorway. A cool breeze coming in from your open window stirs your curtains and chills your room. A frown pulls at your lips and your brows scrunch together in confusion. It was closed when you left. You start over to it. Your feet come to a stop and find something resting on the windowsill. 

“So, think you’ll ever see Vergil again?” Lady calls out from the other room. 

An uncontrollable smile spreads on your lips as you stare down at the keychain cat in your hand. You can feel eyes behind you watching your every move. “Yes, without a doubt.” 

“How can you be so sure? He’s not exactly a people person.” Lady questions. 

“Because,” Your heart flutters as you slowly turn around. Your smile grows wider if it’s even possible when your eyes meet enchanting blue staring at you from the dark corner of your room. “It’s fate.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I took the stars from my eyes and then I made a map_  
_And I knew that somehow I could find my way back._

_I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too_  
_So I stayed in the darkness with you._

_(Cosmic Love, Florence + The Machines)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you who left me kudos and such wonderful comments. You guys are awesome and all get a cookie! :D
> 
> For those who are curious, this story spans almost the whole DMC series.  
> Fate timeline:  
> Starts off at the Devil May Cry 3 manga(book), goes through both volumes of the DMC3 manga.  
> It time skipped DMC3(was mentioned with Vergil summoning the tower) as well as DMC1(was mentioned with Vergil under Mundus' control) and the DMC anime (which is why Patty was present when you visited Dante's shop with Vergil to get Yamato)  
> From there everything was before DMC4 (During that trip to Dante's it was revealed that Trish was undercover in the Order (as Gloria) getting info on the group)  
> Your wedding took place during the events of DMC4, which is why that Hell Gate had been summoned and kinda....you know...killed you...  
> Then last chapter takes place a few months after DMC4 which is why Nero was visiting Dante's place.
> 
>  
> 
> While I only started to post Fate on this site after I had finished it, this story holds a very deep meaning to me and will always have a place in my heart. Fate took me 3 _years_ to complete from the first day I started it to when I wrote the last word. This story helped me to grow immensely as an author. It got me over my hatred of writing fight scenes and made me realize that stories sometimes will go an unexpected direction but that's not always a bad thing. I had the ended planned from when I began, but pretty much everything after the time skip wasn't originally planned when I had first started writing it. The more into the story I wrote the more things shifted and changed into what they ended up being and I couldn't be happier for it.
> 
> There won't be a sequel to Fate, I feel that it would ruin the magic of the ending
> 
> Also, side note:  
> I gave myself a challenge about halfway through this story that I'm sure not a single one of you would have noticed. The first letter in each of the chapter titles, while there are repeats, can spell out the whole alphabet. 
> 
> Another thing to note, and I'm only pointing this out because I like to torture you guys, is that at the end while I had heavily implied that it was Vergil, I never said it was. For all you know it could be some blue demon or even something else entirely. :P 
> 
> So I like to find one song that fits the whole story that I wrote. And after listening to countless songs as I worked on this story, I have FINALLY found the song I think fits Fate beautifully.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbcn3W7dTGQ
> 
> I hope that all of you have enjoyed this story that I told. If you are interested in reading more of my work (all are either reader/vergil or vergil/reader/dante) feel free to check them out. I know I don't have a whole lot posted on this site right now, but I promise I'll get things up and keep them updated as I finish new chapters. 
> 
> Thank you. :)


	47. Never

Fate  
Alternate Ending: Never  
__  
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” -Unknown  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Xion dead, Vergil turns his attention to the false Hell Gate. His eyes narrow at the abomination. It was because of this _thing_ that you were killed; taken from this world- from him. With an ever growing fury, Vergil swiftly draws Yamato. With graceful, powerful swipes the false Hell Gate is cut apart and starts to crumble, closing the portal to Hell. 

Returning Yamato to its sheath, Vergil starts his trek back to your body. He enters the field where his dome of spiral swords still guard your body ferociously; slightly disappointed to find that Aaron is still alive and hadn’t moved an inch; swords continuing to pressed into his chest daring him to move. He ignores the terrified faces and gasps of the crowd that gaze out of the visitor center. Vergil’s eyes remained locked on the swords that protect your body from the world. When approaches them, they shatter at once, fragments disintegrating before they touch you or the ground. Swords no longer digging into his skin, Aaron takes in a large shaky breath and watches Vergil kneel next to you. 

A deep frown paints itself on Vergil’s lips as he gazes down at you. Your skin is as pale as his hair and your skin is as icy as his eyes. The sight makes the pain he hides deep within himself grow. Slowly and gently, as if you would break, Vergil slides his arms under your body and lifts you up when he stands. Without a word he turns his back to Aaron and the cowering guests and starts to walk away. 

“Hey!” Aaron scurries to his feet, tears still in his eyes. “What are you doing?! Put her down! I won’t let you take her! You’re the one that killed her, you monster!”

Vergil pauses but doesn’t turn. His voice comes out so bitterly cold that it sends a shudder through Aaron’s body. “Her death is on you just as much as that demon.” 

“I didn’t kill her you did! I tried to save her! I tried to get her to safety!” Tears drench Aaron’s face. “Please don’t take her; I won’t let you! Set her down now!! I-I’m not afraid o-of you! She needs to be with me! She’s my wife!”

The atmosphere around Vergil instantly grows heavy and thick with a dark fury. Even the clouds above turn darker and the wind picks up to an angry rush. “Disgusting vermin.” Vergil’s voice comes out deeper, rougher, an almost predatory growl. He turns halfway and Aaron feels his bladder lose control at the sight of Vergil’s demonic red eyes, narrowed to almost slits, glaring at him with all the wrath of Hell itself. “You are not worthy of her.”

The wedding guests grow closer now, all eyes on Vergil as they listen to Aaron’s declarations that the white haired man killed you. Your family that was yours for only a few hours close in on Vergil with anger and fear; some are on phones calling police to report the monsters and murder that they had just witnessed. 

When the group is only a few feet away from taking you from him, Vergil, for one of the rarest moments in his life, loses control. Unshackled furry fills him to his very core. Screams of horror echo the meadow, the crowd toppling over each other in a mad panic to get away. Family and friends fall to the ground as nothing more than bloody chunks of flesh as they are cut apart by Vergil’s very aura; not seen but felt as it fills the air around him. In his unbridled rage Vergil’s form shifts. His skin becomes blue and black almost scaly leather. Sharp claws grow from his fingers and his teeth become pointed fangs as he devil triggers.

Though his face is completely unreadable, Vergil’s eyes, still full of red demonic furry never leave your face as his aura grows and spreads across the whole field, slicing bodies, cutting trees in to pieces and even chopping the visitor center into nothing more than a pile of broken rubble. Nothing escapes his pain filled wrath. He left you, pushed you away, abandoned you and as a result you died. Not again, he left you once, leaving you with these lowly beings that did nothing but cower in fear while you fought and died for them is something he refuses. He _will not_ let them, or anyone, take you from him again.

Let them see. Let them die from his power; power that was gifted onto him by the one that broke through the icy confines of his heart. Vergil is known for his lust for power. Spending his life seeking to exceed his father’s might. He failed to protect his mother because he was too weak. He vowed to get stronger that day. So that such a thing would never come to pass again. Yet as fate would have it, in order to gain the might he sought, he had to experience the very thing he desired power to prevent. 

Kicking off from the ground, Vergil disappears into the sky and away from the now silent meadow littered with blood, ash and bodies with you safe in his arms; a very specific destination in mind. His heart aches things that he will never voice. He failed. He failed _you_. It is as plain and simple as that. He wasn’t fast enough, strong enough, to protect you from the darkness that had followed you from your time with him. If he never gave you back to Aaron then you would still live. It was foolish to think that you would be safe in the arms of a pathetic sniveling boy. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

A warm breeze brings with it a light sweet scent. The gentle wind encourages the tall grass and brightly colored wild flowers to dance in the quiet field. The field is surrounded by tall, jagged cliffs on three sides. A tall tree stands strong near the fourth side overlooking the ocean; within its branches birds sing happily. Because of how isolated it is, and the impossible to climb landscape that surrounds it, this field is a sanctuary that only two souls know of. 

It is in this small peaceful paradise where Vergil stands under the tree. His emotionless eyes gaze unwavering at the stone before him. How long he has been standing there, unmoving, he neither cares nor knows. Recent events plague his mind like a ghost. The scenes repeating themselves over and over, though he will never show what effect they truly had on him.

_  
Vergil’s eyes gaze down upon your cold lifeless body, clad in white as it lies upon a blanket. His hands are still covered in dirt from just completing his task of digging a hole in the earth. Kneeling down next to you with a frown on his lips, he carefully brushes a strand of hair out of your face. Something shining in the sunlight gains his attention as he looks upon you one last time. Moving some of your dress fabric aside, he discovers that childish keychain you had always carried clipped onto your dress. The cat glares up at him as he examines it._

_Memories fill his mind of when he first met you. Back then you were nothing, were no one. He could have cut you down himself without a second thought. You were pathetic, whinny and weak. At some point however, all of that changed. You died as someone strong and proud; died as someone important to him. When he had killed those thugs and incidentally saved you in the process, he never would have thought that your death would have meant anything to him._

_Unclipping the keychain, Vergil offers it one more look before placing it within the inside pocket of his coat. Taking the edge of the blanket you rest upon, with one last look at your face, he snugly wraps up your body. Doing his best to ignore the twisting pain in his chest, he carefully lifts you up before gently laying you down within the earth. His focus remains on his task as dirt fills the hole you occupy. He doesn’t look or watch your wrapped body slowly being consumed by the earth. If he looks then he may lose control over himself again and doing is something he will not allow again. Only once the hole is completely filled and he finds a large rock to place atop it does he allow himself time to simply stand there and lose himself in thought._

Vergil stares at your stone, not even glancing at the polished headstone a few feet next to it that belongs to his mother. Vergil’s mind echoes the same words over and over again. He failed you. There were many times where he could have avoided this outcome. If he never came back after those five years then he never would have known your fate. Even if you would have still died he wouldn’t be aware of such a thing. If he never returned then Zaide would still live. Zaide could have killed Lorelei and would have protected you from death just as he had been years before your paths crossed that stormy night with the thugs. Vergil had returned after all of those years to save you. Because to him, you were worth saving. But if he had never returned then perhaps you would still be alive.

It was the demon that had pierced your body and it was Aaron that only stood by and watched it happen. But Vergil knows that they are not to blame. Demons are blood thirsty by nature just as humans are cowards. Vergil is just as much to blame as them, if not more so. If he had been there then that demon would never have so much as gotten within feet of you. He failed you, just as he did his mother all those years ago.

“Never again.” Vergil’s voice is nothing more than a whisper carried on the wind.

“Never again what?” A familiar voice rings out gently from behind him but Vergil neither moves not looks, his eyes remain locked onto the stone. 

Vergil allows this small moment of weakness to be revealed, here hidden away from the world and all that would seek to harm him. 

“Fail.”

“Vergil, you didn’t fail anyone. You came. That was enough.”

He feels your hands rest on his back and feels your body leaning into him slightly in a comforting embrace. The warmth of which seeps through his coat and is felt on his skin. 

“I would have died then, you know that? That night I was trying to get home in the rain and was stopped by those thugs. They would have beaten me, raped me and then killed me. If I had somehow survived that then the very next night I would have been killed by the same demon that murdered my dad. The only reason why I wasn’t was because both times you were there and stopped them from taking my life. The time I spent with you, even the bad times, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And the only reason why I had that time to spend with you to start with was because you had saved me when I was meant to die. I wouldn’t of have that time to spend with you if it wasn’t for you.”

Vergil feels you burry your face in his back as your grip on him tightens. 

“You didn’t fail anyone Vergil. You saved me and I can never express how much gratitude and happiness you have brought to me. So please stop blaming yourself for my death, because you are the only one that does. Don’t put up even more walls around you. If you do then there’ll be nothing left of the man I care so dearly for.”

 

Silence fills the breezy meadow, only broken by an occasional bird chirp. Vergil’s back is now completely warm from your embrace. 

“One last thing?” Your voice is quiet. 

“Anything.” 

“Promise you won’t ever forget me. No matter how many years pass or what may occur, don’t forget.”

As Vergil turns to look back at you he feels your body and the warmth it brought vanish. Behind him he discovers that he is alone in the empty field of flowers. Yamato clutched in his hand, Vergil starts to walk away from the two graves. He had desired to be like his father and in the end it seems he had succeeded all too well. He had finally obtained the power he sought for so long, but like his father, he had lost the only one that mattered. No amount of power could ever have been worth your life.

Halfway across the field Vergil comes to a stop. Turning for one last glance back at the tree and your final resting place he mutters so softly that he himself can barely hear his words before devil triggering and taking off to the skies.

_“Never, I promise.”_

It is in that field of flowers, isolated and closed off from the world that rests the only two that the cold hearted son of Sparda ever cared for. His mother who brought him into this world and the woman that stolen his heart before she herself was stolen by fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is that 'surprise' I had for all of you. I had an ending planned from the very first chapter, but after the time skip I thought up another ending. The two ending battled in my head and in the end the one thought up half way through ended up winning. My loyal friends and readers, I present to you, the ORIGINAL ending to Fate, the ending that I had planned from the get go. 
> 
> Yes, it's not happy like the one I thought up half way through, but in a way I feel it kinda fits better. Vergil wanted power so that he would never feel that pain of losing someone again. This is even reveled in his quote 'Might controls everything, without strength you cannot protect anyone, let alone yourself' Yet in order to get that power, he had to lose the one that meant the most to him. He wanted to be like Sparda and now he truly is. Powerful, but couldn't save the one he loved. It's beautiful poetic irony.


End file.
